Application Guide

How to Apply for Director of AI Engineering, AI Labs

at Via Transporation

🏢 About Via Transporation

Via is reimagining global transportation by building efficient, affordable, and sustainable networks powered by cutting-edge software. As a leader in dynamic mobility solutions, Via's AI Labs drive innovation at the intersection of AI and real-world logistics, making this a unique place for engineers who want to see their work impact millions of riders daily.

About This Role

As Director of AI Engineering at AI Labs, you'll lead a small, high-caliber team to ship production-grade AI products end-to-end, from problem framing to deployment. This role is highly impactful because you'll directly shape the technical direction of Via's AI-driven mobility solutions, working hands-on with customers to iterate on scalable agentic systems.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start with a stand-up with your AI engineering team, reviewing architecture decisions and unblocking technical challenges. You'll then dive into code, perhaps designing a scalable API for a new agentic feature, followed by a customer call to iterate on a real-world routing problem. Afternoons involve strategic planning for the AI Labs roadmap and mentoring senior engineers on best practices.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Via Transporation Is Looking For

  • 10+ years building and shipping AI-powered products end-to-end, with deep expertise in LLMs, predictive modeling, and production data infrastructure.
  • Proven experience leading senior engineering talent, setting a high bar, and fostering a culture of ownership and experimentation.
  • Strong backend engineer at core, comfortable designing scalable APIs, distributed systems, and writing clean, maintainable code.
  • Energized by forward-deployed, customer-facing work, iterating quickly on agentic solutions for real-world transportation problems.

📝 Tips for Applying to Via Transporation

1

Highlight specific examples of AI products you've shipped end-to-end, emphasizing your role in architecture, deployment, and iteration.

2

Demonstrate your hands-on backend skills by mentioning relevant technologies (e.g., Python, Go, Kubernetes, Kafka) and how you've used them in production.

3

Showcase your leadership philosophy with concrete stories of mentoring senior engineers and driving team culture.

4

Express enthusiasm for the transportation domain and how your work can impact Via's mission of sustainable, efficient mobility.

5

Tailor your resume to emphasize forward-deployed or customer-facing AI work, as the role requires close collaboration with customers.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your deep technical expertise across the AI/ML stack, especially LLMs and production data infrastructure.', 'Your ability to lead and inspire a team while staying hands-on with code and architecture.', 'Experience building scalable backend systems and designing APIs for AI-driven products.', 'Your passion for solving real-world transportation challenges and iterating with customers.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read Via's blog posts and case studies about their AI-driven routing and dynamic scheduling algorithms.
  • → Understand Via's product suite (e.g., ViaVan, Via for Transit) and how AI optimizes ride pooling and dispatching.
  • → Look into Via's approach to agentic AI and how they integrate LLMs into their platform.
  • → Review Via's engineering culture and values, especially around ownership and experimentation.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you shipped a complex AI product from concept to production. What were the key technical decisions and trade-offs?
2 How do you set technical direction for a team of senior engineers while remaining hands-on?
3 Walk us through your approach to designing a scalable API for a real-time AI feature.
4 How would you handle a situation where a customer's problem requires rapid iteration on an agentic solution?
5 Discuss a recent AI advancement (e.g., in LLMs) and how you would apply it to Via's transportation network.
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on AI research without showing production experience and backend engineering skills.
  • Understating the importance of customer collaboration; this role is forward-deployed, so emphasize user-centric iteration.
  • Not providing concrete examples of leadership; vague statements about 'leading teams' won't suffice.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Via Transporation!

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