Founding Engineer
clera · remote
Open. First seen 25 September 2026.
Description
About the Role
This is the first engineering hire at a pre-seed-funded AI infrastructure startup building the operating layer for AI-native service companies. The product is live and generating real revenue across two verticals, and your job is to turn a working system into agentic infrastructure that can scale to millions of users. You will own the architecture alongside the solo founder, with a clear path to a CTO seat as the team grows.
What You'll Do
Rebuild a working product into agentic infrastructure designed to hold real scale. Design and operate the agent runtime: orchestration, memory, verification, and the machinery that makes an AI workforce reliable. Own work end to end across backend, infrastructure, frontend, and agent systems. Set the technical stack, quality bar, and engineering culture from day one. Ship weekly to real businesses running live on the platform.
What We're Looking For
At least 2 years shipping production software, or an equivalent track record as a founder or solo builder. Exceptional engineers earlier in their career are explicitly welcome. Demonstrated experience building and running LLM or AI agent systems in production, with real users depending on them.
Side projects and demos do not count. Full-stack range: able to move from backend and infrastructure through to the UI without waiting for a specialist. Ability to turn a working prototype into infrastructure that holds real load: architecture, data models, runtime, and orchestration.
Has owned technical decisions with no engineering organisation above them, whether as a founder, early hire, or solo technical lead. Founder instincts and a track record of shipping things that real people depended on. Experience with agent orchestration, agent memory, evals, verification systems, or multi-agent workflows is a strong plus.
Background in recruiting, agency, or service-delivery businesses is a plus, given the active verticals. Based in Europe and genuinely open to relocating to San Francisco within the first year. Compensation & Benefits Salary: 80,000 to 140,000 EUR annually.
Visa sponsorship and relocation support to San Francisco are provided from day one. Location Fully remote within Europe to start, with planned in-person relocation to San Francisco. Visa sponsorship is available and relocation assistance is part of the offer.
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is the first engineering hire at a pre-seed-funded AI infrastructure startup building the operating layer for AI-native service companies. The product is live and generating real revenue across two verticals, and your job is to turn a working system into agentic infrastructure that can scale to millions of users. You will own the architecture alongside the solo founder, with a clear path to a CTO seat as the team grows.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Rebuild a working product into agentic infrastructure designed to hold real scale.
- Design and operate the agent runtime: orchestration, memory, verification, and the machinery that makes an AI workforce reliable.
- Own work end to end across backend, infrastructure, frontend, and agent systems.
- Set the technical stack, quality bar, and engineering culture from day one.
- Ship weekly to real businesses running live on the platform.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- At least 2 years shipping production software, or an equivalent track record as a founder or solo builder. Exceptional engineers earlier in their career are explicitly welcome.
- Demonstrated experience building and running LLM or AI agent systems in production, with real users depending on them. Side projects and demos do not count.
- Full-stack range: able to move from backend and infrastructure through to the UI without waiting for a specialist.
- Ability to turn a working prototype into infrastructure that holds real load: architecture, data models, runtime, and orchestration.
- Has owned technical decisions with no engineering organisation above them, whether as a founder, early hire, or solo technical lead.
- Founder instincts and a track record of shipping things that real people depended on.
- Experience with agent orchestration, agent memory, evals, verification systems, or multi-agent workflows is a strong plus.
- Background in recruiting, agency, or service-delivery businesses is a plus, given the active verticals.
- Based in Europe and genuinely open to relocating to San Francisco within the first year. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS Salary: 80,000 to 140,000 EUR annually. Visa sponsorship and relocation support to San Francisco are provided from day one. LOCATION Fully remote within Europe to start, with planned in-person relocation to San Francisco. Visa sponsorship is available and relocation assistance is part of the offer.
Posting history
Reposted 2 times since 10 September 2026: a posting for this role in remote was taken down and the role was posted again.
- 25 September 2026 – open (this posting)
- 18 September 2026 – open
- 11 September 2026 – open
- 10 September 2026 – closed 13 September 2026
Salary context
34 other open postings titled Founding Engineer state a salary: median USD 150,000 to USD 250,000 a year.
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