AI Engineer (Automatic Speech Recognition)

About Presto Presto is the leading Voice AI company for restaurant drive-thrus, operating at scale in complex, noisy, customer-facing environments. As the AI partner to more than a dozen of the most iconic American restaurant brands, Presto is building one of the most impactful real-world applications of AI that directly impacts revenue, labor efficiency, and a magical guest experience for millions of people. AI is not a feature at Presto—it is the foundation of how we build, evaluate, and evolve our products. We operate at lightning speed iteration cycles and are solving some of the hardest problems in Voice AI. We are backed by Remus Capital, were a Y Combinator company, and are headquartered in Silicon Valley. This may not be the right fit for you, if you are looking for a traditional 9-to-5 environment. We move at the pace of AI. Change is constant, and roadmaps evolve quickly. Presto is for builders, experimenters, and problem-solvers who thrive in ambiguity, learn continuously, and are excited to shape the future of real-world AI alongside a high-performance team. The Role We are looking for an ASR Engineer, Speech & Voice AI to lead the development of state-of-the-art automatic speech recognition (ASR) technologies and integrate cutting-edge research into Presto’s production Voice AI systems. This is a highly impactful, hands-on technical leadership role at the intersection of AI research, real-world deployment, and product innovation. You will help define the future of Presto’s Voice AI platform—owning core ASR capabilities, influencing product roadmap decisions, and continuously pushing the boundaries of what voice systems can do in complex, real-world environments. Success in this role requires an AI-first mindset, comfort experimenting with new models and techniques, and the ability to rapidly translate research breakthroughs into scalable, customer-facing solutions. What You’ll Do • Lead the design, development, and customization of high-performance, production-grade ASR systems optimized for real-world restaurant environments • Rapidly evaluate, prototype, and integrate state-of-the-art and emerging speech recognition technologies into existing and future voice products • Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Go-To-Market teams to define new voice features, technical capabilities, and roadmap priorities • Own the end-to-end lifecycle of ASR innovation—from research exploration to deployment, optimization, and continuous improvement • Define speech data requirements, data strategies, and evaluation methodologies to support new AI-driven product features • Communicate technical tradeoffs, performance characteristics, and system limitations clearly to cross-functional stakeholders • Mentor and elevate junior engineers and researchers, setting technical standards and fostering a culture of experimentation and learning What We’re Looking For • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) • 5+ years of experience building and deploying automatic speech recognition systems • Deep, hands-on expertise with modern ASR architectures, machine learning, and deep learning techniques • Strong experience working with real-time, production speech systems and rapidly integrating new model advancements • Proven ability to move from research to scalable, customer-facing AI solutions • Strong programming skills in Python, C, and/or C++ • Experience working with embedded or resource-constrained speech recognition systems • Comfort operating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments where priorities evolve quickly Nice to Have • Masters Degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field • Experience with near-field and far-field speech signal processing • Hands-on experience with text-to-speech (TTS) systems • Experience applying ASR in noisy, real-world, customer-facing environments Why Presto We move at the speed of AI. Change is rapid, experimentation is expected, and roles evolve alongside the technology. This is not a highly prescriptive environment—success requires curiosity, adaptability, and a desire to continuously learn and push boundaries. You’ll work on real-world AI systems at meaningful scale, with direct customer impact and ownership over foundational voice technologies powering the future of restaurant automation. Compensation & Benefits The U.S. base salary range for this position is approximately $160,000– $180,000 annually, plus equity and benefits. Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and individual experience. Presto’s compensation philosophy rewards high performers and aligns incentives with long-term value creation. Benefits for U.S.-based employees include medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) program, and paid time off (PTO). Learn more at www.presto.com. Our Commitment We value people from all walks of life and are committed to building an inclusive, equitable work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Presto Phoenix, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. If you need an accommodation to access the application or interview process, please contact recruiting@presto.com.