Founding Engineer (AI/ML)
About the Role
This is a foundational engineering role at an early-stage AI-powered recruiting marketplace, where you'll own the intelligence layer that connects top talent with the right opportunities. You'll build and ship recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, and LLM-powered matching features that directly shape the core product experience for both candidates and employers.
What You'll Do
Build and own AI/ML systems including recommendation engines and ranking algorithms.
Develop LLM-powered matching features to improve candidate-role alignment in production.
Architect and maintain production-grade data pipelines and backend services integrated with the full stack.
Collaborate cross-functionally to translate product goals into shipped, production-ready features.
Deliver end-to-end features with full ownership on a rapid, daily shipping cadence.
What We're Looking For
3+ years of professional software engineering experience shipping end-to-end product features in production environments.
Proven experience building LLM-powered features using LLM APIs in production.
Hands-on experience with recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, or ML-powered matching systems.
Strong proficiency in TypeScript and React in production applications.
Experience with Supabase, Prisma, and production database design.
Proficiency with Typesense or similar search and ranking infrastructure.
Experience with workflow automation tools such as trigger.dev in production settings.
Comfortable using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor) and similar modern tooling.
Background building in fast-paced startup environments with rapid iteration cycles.
Demonstrated exceptional technical achievement — strong open-source contributions, notable personal projects, or outstanding academic record.
Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort working in scrappy, high-ownership environments.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $130,000 – $170,000 USD annually
Visa sponsorship: Available
Location
Hybrid — based in San Francisco, CA, United States.