Founding Engineer

Role details

ABOUT THE ROLE Join an early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer — a rare 1-of-1 role working directly alongside the founding team to shape both the product and engineering culture. This company is building a real-time AI-enabled platform designed to digitize human connection, making AI interactions feel genuinely present and personal. You'll help lay the technical foundation from the ground up in a fast-moving, high-ambition environment. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Build across the full application, collaborating closely with the founder, design team, and other engineers. - Design and implement systems for memory, retrieval, proactivity, and AI responsiveness. - Integrate real-time video generation and audio synthesis models — both internal and third-party. - Set the bar for engineering quality and play an active role in recruiting world-class talent. - Extensively use the product yourself to ensure real user value and quality. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - Required: Computer Science degree from a top university. - Required: 2–7 years of professional software engineering experience (not a new grad). - Required: Strong CS fundamentals and a track record of technically complex side projects. - Required: High energy, entrepreneurial spirit — prior startup or fast-moving environment experience strongly valued. - Required: Proficiency in Python, including typed scientific Python. - Bonus: Experience with real-time media, vision/video model training or deployment, memory systems, or audio synthesis. - Bonus: Familiarity with agentic coding or AI-assisted development workflows. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Salary: $175,000 – $225,000 USD annually - Visa sponsorship available LOCATION This role is fully on-site in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be willing and able to work in-person full-time.