Founding Engineer

Clera

San Francisco, CA

On-site

Who this role is best for

Aimed at experienced engineers with a product mindset who are comfortable working in ambiguous, high-intensity environments and can build systems that integrate AI and client workflows.

Best fit for

Experienced engineers with a product mindset and background in AI agent development
— “Experience building with LLMs or AI agents in production systems”
Candidates who have worked directly with clients in technical roles and can translate needs into product capabilities
— “Experience working directly with clients or customers in a technical role”
Individuals with strong full-stack or backend skills and a track record of shipping production software
— “At least 2 years of experience building and shipping production software”

Things to consider

On-site commitment in San Francisco for five days per week is non-negotiable
— “On-site in San Francisco, California, United States, five days per week”
Visa sponsorship is not available, which may limit candidate pool to US citizens or residents
— “Visa sponsorship is not available”

How to stand out

Highlight end-to-end feature ownership and client-facing technical delivery in your resume and interviews
— “Own features end to end, from design through deployment and operation with real users”
Showcase experience with high-throughput data systems and desktop application integration
— “Experience with high-throughput data or event systems, Rust, desktop applications or agents”
Emphasize your ability to model workflows as structured processes or knowledge graphs
— “Model recorded work as structured processes and knowledge graphs”
Demonstrate your capacity to build and deploy AI-generated software in production environments
— “Build coding agents that generate automation software and systems to deploy it into production”

Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

successful product launches
high system reliability
positive client feedback

Typical background

software engineering experienceAI/ML background

Skills & requirements

Required

Full-stack DevelopmentLLM IntegrationAI Agent DevelopmentHigh-throughput SystemsPrivacy Protections

Preferred

RustNext.jsPostgreSQLAzure

Stack & domain

LlmsAI AgentsHigh-throughput SystemsPrivacy ProtectionsRedactionKnowledge GraphsAutomation SoftwareCoding AgentsDeploymentClient DeliveryProduct CapabilitiesFull-stackBackendTypeScriptPythonGoRustNext.jsPostgreSQLAzureLeadershipCommunicationProblem-solvingStrategic ThinkingTeamworkCustomer InteractionAIEnterprise WorkflowsAutomation

About the role

Original posting from Clera via Ashby

ABOUT THE ROLE
As the first engineering hire at an early-stage AI software company, you'll build an end-to-end platform that observes enterprise workflows and automates them with AI-generated software. You'll work across the product and infrastructure, helping turn hands-on client delivery into a repeatable system.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Build high-throughput systems that capture activity from client desktop environments.
Develop privacy protections and redaction so sensitive information stays within appropriate boundaries.
Model recorded work as structured processes and knowledge graphs.
Build coding agents that generate automation software and systems to deploy it into production.
Work directly with clients to understand their workflows, deliver solutions, and turn manual processes into product capabilities.
Own features end to end, from design through deployment and operation with real users.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
At least 2 years of experience building and shipping production software; founder experience may count.
Experience building with LLMs or AI agents in production systems.
Strong full-stack or backend skills in TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, or a similar language, and a product mindset.
Experience working directly with clients or customers in a technical role.
Interest in a high-intensity early-stage role with founding-level ownership and comfort with ambiguity.
Experience with high-throughput data or event systems, Rust, desktop applications or agents, code-generation systems, Next.js, PostgreSQL, or Azure is useful.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Base salary is $150,000 to $250,000 annually, plus 0.5% to 1.5% equity. Visa sponsorship is not available. This is a full-time position.
LOCATION
On-site in San Francisco, California, United States, five days per week.

Source: Clera careers (Ashby)