Employer: Blacksmith Agency
Industry: Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, AI Workflow Automation & Digital Production
Location: Remote (Vanderbijlpark / Vaal Triangle / Open across South Africa & Latin America)
Position Type: Full-Time Permanent
Department: Engineering
Role Type: Builder Role (Shipping Production LLM Systems, Not Research / Model Training)
Compensation: Market-Related Remote Software Engineering Salary
Posted Date: 24 October 2026
Closing Date: 24 November 2026
About Blacksmith Agency & The AI Automation Role
Blacksmith Agency is a high-growth digital production agency actively embedding an AI automation layer into every facet of its software delivery, web development, and design operations.
Blacksmith Agency is recruiting a hands-on AI Automation Engineer to work 100% remotely from Vanderbijlpark or anywhere in South Africa. Designed for experienced software builders who have practical experience constructing systems with Large Language Models (LLMs), this role focuses on translating documented workflow roadmaps into fully deployed production tools, agentic pipelines, and custom API integrations connecting WordPress, Figma, and internal CMS platforms.
Key Responsibilities & Engineering Deliverables
The AI Automation Engineer will execute five core production automation deliverables:
1. Agentic Workflow Engineering
- Agent Systems: Build and deploy autonomous agentic workflows utilizing frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, or AutoGen.
- MCP Protocol: Develop and manage Model Context Protocol (MCP) server integrations within Blacksmith’s enterprise AI architecture.
2. API Integration & Function Calling
- Foundation Models: Build deep integrations with Anthropic (Claude) and OpenAI (GPT-4) APIs, taking full advantage of tool use, function calling, structured outputs, and real-time streaming.
3. Production Pipeline Automation
- Workflow Pipelines: Construct automated pipelines linking web design and CMS platforms, including WordPress, Figma, Google Workspace, and internal content systems.
- Internal Developer Tools: Create internal software tools that eliminate repetitive manual hours across the design and engineering production cycle.
4. Agile Delivery & Shipping
- Roadmap Delivery: Collaborate closely with engineering and delivery leadership to turn concept roadmaps into reliable, scalable software solutions.
Candidate Profile & Technical Qualifications
To qualify for consideration, applicants must meet the following mandatory technical criteria:
- Core Software Development:
- Minimum 2+ years of experience building production software using Python or Node.js (Mandatory).
- LLM & Agent Framework Experience (CRITICAL):
- Hands-on experience with LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, or equivalent multi-agent frameworks (Mandatory).
- A portfolio or demonstrated history of shipped software built on top of LLMs.
- API & Cloud Infrastructure:
- Proven API integration experience with OpenAI or Anthropic (tool use, function calling, streaming).
- Strong understanding of RESTful APIs, webhooks, JSON schemas, and basic cloud deployment models.
- Communication & Remote Setup:
- Sufficient written English proficiency for asynchronous work with a US-based engineering team.
- Ability to work independently from a secure home environment in Vanderbijlpark or across South Africa.
Application Guidelines & Predictive Index Step
Applicants must complete the application process accurately to ensure screening:
- Submit Initial Application: Apply via the official Blacksmith Agency online portal.
- Complete Assessment (MANDATORY): Applications are only reviewed after the applicant completes a 6-minute Predictive Index (PI) assessment.
- Email Match: Use the exact same email address for both the application form and the Predictive Index assessment.
Sample Selection & AI Engineering Interview Questions
Agentic Architecture & API Performance
- Question (Error Handling in Agents): “How do you design fallback logic in LangGraph or LangChain when an LLM fails to generate valid tool arguments during a multi-step API function call?”
- Question (Webhook Integrations): “What architecture do you use to process real-time webhooks from Figma or WordPress and trigger asynchronous background jobs via an LLM pipeline?”
How to Apply
Apply online directly via the official Blacksmith Agency Careers Portal:
- Employer: Blacksmith Agency
- Location: Remote (Vanderbijlpark / South Africa)
- Position: AI Automation Engineer
- Closing Date: 24 November 2026