Founding Engineer

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.