VibeCodeCareers 
On-site in San Francisco, this mid-level role at Tolan involves designing AI experiences for their Embodied Companion product. You'll be part of a team that includes behavioral researchers and science fiction writers, working to develop and refine AI personalities.
Skills / Requirements
- AI Fluency
- AI-assisted Development
- Automation
- Creative Practice
- Creative Writing
- Emotional Range Design
- Game Design
- Prompt Engineering
- System Thinking
- Technical Intuition
- Vibe Coding
- Workflow Improvement
Why Apply
This role is ideal for those who integrate AI tools into creative processes. You'll use AI-assisted prompt development to shape the personality and behavior of Tolan's AI companions, making it a perfect fit for someone who sees AI as a creative medium.
What You'll Be Doing
You will craft and evaluate AI prompts that define the personality and behavior of Tolan's AI companions. Collaborating with design and engineering teams, you will write creatively and technically to enhance the AI's voice and emotional range.
Working in San Francisco, United States
- San Francisco is a global tech hub, offering numerous networking opportunities with industry leaders and innovators.
- The city's vibrant culture and diverse communities provide a rich environment for creativity and inspiration.
- Public transportation in San Francisco is extensive, making it easier to commute to the downtown office.
- The city's proximity to Silicon Valley gives access to a vast ecosystem of tech events and meetups.
Pay and Career Growth
Tolan emphasizes autonomy and ownership, providing a culture where you can take initiative and drive projects. The company is backed by notable industry figures, suggesting strong financial support and potential for career growth. The role offers a unique blend of creative and technical work, which can enhance your skills in both areas.
Benefits and Perks
- Autonomy
- Creative environment
- In-person Collaboration
- Ownership
Is This Role Right for You?
Good fit if you...
- You have experience with AI tools and see them as a creative medium.
- You enjoy working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and have a track record of building projects independently.
- You have a creative background in writing, art, or game design and are eager to apply it to AI development.
May not be for you if...
- You prefer structured environments with clear guidelines and processes.
- You lack experience or interest in creative writing or design.
- You are uncomfortable with on-site work and prefer remote opportunities.
Original Job Description
Tolan is an Embodied Companion — a cute AI alien you talk with naturally, like a friend. Tolans have their own personality and preferences, and over time form memories about you, your life, and your shared friendship.
We’re an experienced team that previously founded Even, acquired for $300M in 2022. Tolan is backed by the designers and founders behind Instagram, Retro, Behance, Vimeo, and Notion. Our team works hard, with an emphasis on autonomy and ownership. We’re building together in-person in downtown SF.
The Applied AI Team
The Applied AI Team is responsible for the experiments, evals, and prompts that power the product and bring Tolans to life. Your colleagues include behavioral researchers, science fiction writers, game designers, and operators with experience scaling systems to serve millions of users.
The Role
You’ll craft, deploy, and evaluate the prompts that shape Tolan personality and behavior. You’ll work closely with design and engineering to develop new features and tune existing ones. A typical day involves creative writing, AI-assisted prompt development/deployment, and testing via both vibes and evals.
This role is equal parts writing craft and technical intuition. You’re shaping how an AI character feels to talk to—its voice, its personality, its emotional range.
Who We’re Looking For
You’re a builder and creative who uses AI to bring your ideas into the world. Maybe you’ve shipped side projects, hacked together tools for your own workflow, or spent weekends seeing what you could get an LLM to do. The specific outputs matter less than the impulse: you see AI as a creative medium and you’ve been actively exploring it.
You probably have an unusual background. Writers who learned to vibe code. Engineers who write fiction. People who’ve built weird things and put them on the internet. We care less about credentials and more about evidence that you make stuff.
The best candidates for this role:
Have a genuine creative practice—writing, art, game design, etc
Default to building when they want to learn something new
Think in systems—always looking for ways to automate or improve workflows
Have experience creating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments (founders and early startup employees tend to thrive here)
