Applied Scientist
Job description
About the role
Software engineers turn product ideas into working code. Engineers work in small teams, review each other's work, and ship in small batches. Most teams follow agile practices such as sprints and daily standups. Engineers also write tests, fix bugs, and improve performance. The field values clear communication as much as technical skill. Engineers spend part of every week on planning, code review, and debugging, not just writing new code. The ability to explain a technical decision in plain words separates strong engineers from the rest.
Key facts
What you'll do
Design systems where analytical choices drive product decisions for the marketplace.
Build pricing algorithms that determine pricing in the long-term care marketplace and define their economic impact.
Construct experiment frameworks that enable product and engineering teams to run ideas and measure effects.
Run investigations when key metrics move unexpectedly to identify root causes and inform decisions.
Requirements
Earn a Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field such as economics, statistics, engineering, or mathematics or demonstrate commensurate practical experience.
Build and deploy quantitative models in applied or research settings to solve real marketplace problems.
Query data directly using SQL or equivalent tools to extract, transform, and analyze information.
Design and analyze controlled experiments to evaluate mechanisms and measure impact.
Work at least three days per week in the San Francisco office under a hybrid schedule.
Practical notes
This role reports to a three-person quantitative pod within a remote-first, Y-Combinator company that has been profitable since 2022.
Typical interview steps
Hiring for engineering roles usually starts with a recruiter screen, followed by one or two technical rounds. Candidates often solve a coding problem, discuss past projects, and answer system design questions. Some loops include a take-home task. Final rounds typically cover team fit and give candidates a chance to ask questions. Interviewers look for how you break down an unfamiliar problem, not just whether you reach the answer. Practicing a few problems aloud and reviewing your own past projects are the best preparation.
Good to know
Work in a quantitative applied science role that turns models into marketplace mechanisms and analytical infrastructure.
Use causal, experimental, and time-series methods to influence pricing, attendance, and reliability outcomes.
Collaborate closely with engineering and product teams to take models from research to production.
Operate in a data-intensive, high-stakes environment where identifying valid causal signals matters.
Engage with competing ideas and defend methodological choices in front of skeptical stakeholders.
Questions to ask
Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.
Career growth
Engineering careers usually progress from individual contributor to senior, staff, and principal levels. Some engineers move into management and lead teams of five to twenty people. Others stay on the technical track. Growth follows demonstrated impact, not tenure alone. A typical engineering ladder has clear levels with defined expectations for scope, quality, and mentorship. Moving up usually requires owning outcomes end to end rather than completing assigned tickets.
About the company
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