Software Engineer, Model Context Protocol - job 1 of 2

As a Software Engineer on the Model Context Protocol team at Anthropic, you'll be responsible for designing and implementing core protocol features, developing high-quality SDKs, and maintaining technical documentation. You’ll also engage with the community through public discussions and mentorship, ensuring the protocol meets the needs of both internal and external developers.

To qualify for the Software Engineer position at Anthropic, you should have at least 5 years of experience in software engineering, familiarity with open source contributions, and strong technical communication skills. Additionally, experience in designing protocols, APIs, and a passion for developer experience are highly desirable.

Software Engineers at Anthropic thrive in a collaborative and open environment, where communication is key. The MCP team emphasizes community engagement, balancing internal product needs with those of external developers. You can expect to participate in frequent discussions and actively contribute to shaping the technical direction of our AI integration efforts.

For a Software Engineer role at Anthropic focusing on Model Context Protocol, proficiency in TypeScript, JavaScript, and Python is essential. Familiarity with AI/ML systems or large language models will also be beneficial, but is not mandatory.

Anthropic does offer visa sponsorship for the Software Engineer position. While they cannot guarantee sponsorship for every candidate, they make reasonable efforts to assist candidates in obtaining visas and have legal support to aid the process.

When answering this question, emphasize your passion for developing AI systems and how Anthropic’s mission aligns with your own professional values and goals. Mention specific aspects of the role or the company culture that resonate with you.

Explain your structured approach to protocol design – from requirements gathering and analyzing stakeholder needs to prototyping, testing, and feedback cycles. Highlight any past experiences where you successfully implemented a protocol.

Share specific examples of open source projects you’ve contributed to, the role you played, and how it has impacted your technical skills. Discuss the importance of community engagement and collaboration in open source work.

Discuss a specific challenge you encountered, how you navigated it, and the outcome. Emphasize the importance of communication skills and adaptability in engaging with diverse developer communities.

Outline your strategies for maintaining backward compatibility, such as establishing rigorous testing protocols, versioning, and documenting changes clearly. Provide examples from past projects where you effectively managed compatibility.

Talk about your coding practices, including code reviews, automated testing, and documentation standards. Mention any tools or methodologies you’ve applied to ensure high-quality outputs.

Explain your process for stakeholder engagement and how you assess the impact of tasks to prioritize effectively. Mention any tools or frameworks, such as Agile methodologies, that you utilize.

Share your vision of how AI can enhance developer productivity, improve user experience, or lead to innovative solutions. Mention any relevant experiences or projects that sparked your interest in AI’s potential.

Demonstrate your communication skills by choosing a simple yet impactful technical concept. Clearly outline it in layman's terms, focusing on the main idea without jargon.

Discuss your career aspirations related to AI and how you envision your professional growth in that field. Emphasize your desire to contribute to impactful projects and continuously enhance your skills.