get hired at
Vals AI
Independent third-party evaluation/benchmarking of frontier AI models on real-world professional tasks
- —
- ALG8VCPV+3
- San Francisco
- AI
Open roles at Vals AI
6 positions we're tracking, re-checked daily
- apply ↗
Member of Technical Staff–Platform
san franciscoSeniorfirst seen last month - apply ↗
MTS–Research
san franciscoMid-levelfirst seen last month - apply ↗
Head of AI
san franciscoSeniorfirst seen last month - apply ↗
Founding Product Engineer
san franciscoMid-levelfirst seen last month - apply ↗
Security Engineer
san franciscoMid-levelfirst seen last month - apply ↗
Head of Operations
san franciscoSeniorfirst seen last month
Know when Vals AI is hiring before anyone else
A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
From $5.99/week, cancel any time.
- live
- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
What Vals AI is building
Vals works with domain experts to turn real legal, finance, tax, healthcare and coding workflows into rigorous graded benchmarks, then builds automated grading systems that evaluate model output against an expert standard. Products: Vals Smith (build coding benchmarks from GitHub repos), frontier-risk suite (cybersecurity, mental health, AI safety), and Vals Index 2.0.
Why this matters
a16z's lead signals conviction that AI needs an independent 'scorekeeper' the way finance has auditors and Moody's. The 8x revenue growth and tripled team make it critical infrastructure. Krishnan (ex-Palantir) and Nashold (ex-Meta/NVIDIA/HRT) bring enterprise-deployment and quant-trading rigor.
Investors: a16z (lead; GP Jennifer Li), 8VC, Pear VC, Bloomberg Beta, Angels/new: HRT Ventures (Hudson River Trading), Next Ladder Ventures
Hiring outlook
Team tripled in six months and the round explicitly funds team expansion and benchmark infrastructure. Founder tweeted the Ashby board directly.
Working at Vals AI
Vals AI is a AI company based in San Francisco. For a AI company this size, the reality is opportunity to shape your role based on the company stage.
Most Vals AI jobs are based in San Francisco.
How to actually get hired at Vals AI
Why applying the normal way doesn't work
Vals AI has an ATS but the real pipeline is referrals → sourced → recruiter picks → cold apps. You can still get through, but know where you stand.
Who to contact at Vals AI
- Who decides
- the hiring manager
- Best channel
- LinkedIn or direct email
What to show them
Published benchmark design, RL/eval tooling, or reproducible model-comparison work; experience detecting benchmark contamination/saturation.
A cold email that works at Vals AI
What Vals AI screens for
Reference the ETH Zurich/Stanford study finding 29 of 60 public LLM benchmarks saturated, and that frontier models fail ~52% of real finance-analyst tasks.
Tailor your CV to the specific Vals AI role rather than sending a general one. Applications that mirror the language of the job description clear automated filters at a materially higher rate.
Don't make these mistakes
Don't confuse with generic 'eval' wrappers or leaderboard sites. Vals' differentiation is expert-built, private, domain-specific benchmarks with automated grading. Don't attribute the lead to Yoko Li — it was Jennifer Li.
Mistakes that kill Vals AI applications
Don't send the same CV you sent everywhere else. At people it's obvious, and it's the fastest rejection there is.
Lead with their problem, not your ambition. Vals AI is focused on a16z's lead signals conviction that AI needs an independent 'scorekeeper' the way finance has auditors and Moody's — show you understand that.
Don't apply and wait. The median AI application gets no response ever. One follow-up at day five roughly doubles reply rates.
Applying to Vals AI? Get the contact, not the form.
The Vals AI interview process
We don't yet have verified candidate reports for Vals AI. What follows is the typical process for a -person AI company, so treat it as a model, not confirmed detail.
Interview stages
- 1
Recruiter Screen
Phone or video · 30 min
What it testsBasic qualification and logisticsUsually run byRecruiter or HR - 2
Hiring Manager Interview
Video call · 45 min
What it testsRole fit and experience deep-diveUsually run byHiring manager - 3
Technical/Functional Round
Video call · 60 min
What it testsSkills assessment and problem-solvingUsually run byTeam members - 4
Final Round
In-person or video · 60 min
What it testsCulture fit and cross-functional alignmentUsually run bySenior leadership
Vals AI take-home assignment
Vals AI includes a take-home exercise in their interview process. For AI roles, this typically involves a practical problem that takes 2-4 hours. Focus on clean, working code over premature optimization. They're evaluating how you think and communicate, not just the solution.
Vals AI interview timeline
Vals AI runs about 14 days from first contact to offer. The median for AI companies at people is 14 days, so Vals AI is about average than most.
Interviewed at Vals AI?
Tell us how it went: stages, questions, timeline. Takes 90 seconds and it's how this page stays accurate for the next person.
Vals AI jobs, frequently asked questions
How many jobs does Vals AI have open?
We're tracking 6 active openings at Vals AI (verified October 4, 2026).
Does Vals AI hire remotely?
All current Vals AI roles are based in San Francisco.
What roles is Vals AI hiring for?
Vals AI is hiring across Engineering, Other, Data, Operations. The most recent opening is Member of Technical Staff–Platform.
How do I apply for a job at Vals AI?
Click through to apply, or see our detailed guide on landing a job at Vals AI.
Does Vals AI respond to cold emails?
We haven't verified response rates at Vals AI yet.
Who is the hiring manager at Vals AI?
At this size, hiring is usually run by the hiring manager.
How competitive is it to get hired at Vals AI?
Expect 100-250 applicants in the first two weeks for AI roles at this size. Apply within 72 hours for best odds.
How many rounds is the Vals AI interview?
4 stages: Recruiter Screen, Hiring Manager Interview, Technical/Functional Round, Final Round.
Is the Vals AI interview hard?
The interview emphasizes technical depth and system design over abstract problems. Hardest stage: Technical Interview.
Does Vals AI give a take-home task?
Yes, Vals AI includes a take-home assignment.
How long does Vals AI take to get back to you?
Around 14 days across the full process.
What should I prepare for the Vals AI interview?
Study technical depth and system design. At this size (), they care about self-sufficiency over textbook knowledge.
Where is Vals AI based?
Vals AI is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
Get Vals AI roles before they're posted
A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
From $5.99/week, cancel any time.
- live
- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
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