Founding Software Engineer

About the company

Our client is an early-stage software company.

The role

Raydar is recruiting for this role on behalf of our client. Take full ownership of core parts of a new software platform, moving across server-side and user-facing work as needed. Ship production code quickly while working side by side with company leadership.

What you'll do

- Own platform modules from architecture decisions through production deployment.

- Build and iterate on core components such as data pipelines, computation layers, orchestration logic and user-facing surfaces.

- Ship production code quickly while balancing technical depth with product judgment.

- Spot gaps in the system independently and propose and deliver what should be built next.

- Work hand in hand with the founder on early priorities for both the technology and the product.

Requirements

What we're looking for

- At least 3 years of engineering experience, with a record of building and shipping production systems quickly.

- Versatility across the stack, including server-side services and user interfaces, and ease shifting between them as needs change.

- High agency and an outcome focus, able to work without a defined scope and execute end-to-end.

- Fluency with modern AI and software tooling.

- Willingness to work in person in San Francisco with the intensity of an early-stage team and demanding hours.

Bonus points

- Background in spatial data, GIS tooling or location-based systems.

- Applied AI research experience, such as a paper, project or production system beyond standard ML pipelines.

- Experience at a high-velocity startup building real systems under pressure.

- Competitive programming accomplishments showing strong algorithmic thinking.

- Prior founding or early-employee startup experience in an unstructured environment.

Benefits

Compensation and benefits

- Base salary: USD 150,000 to 350,000 per year

- Equity

Location and work model

- San Francisco, CA, United States

- On-site, in person

- Full-time