Founding Engineer (AI/ML)

About the Role

A fast-moving, pre-seed AI recruiting marketplace is looking for a Founding Engineer (AI/ML) to own the intelligence layer of their product. You'll architect and ship recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, and LLM-powered matching that connects top talent with the right opportunities — at the very core of what the product does. This is a foundational, high-ownership role at a small, ambitious team backed by notable investors and angels from top-tier VC firms.

This role is well-suited to someone who thrives in a scrappy, high-velocity startup environment, ships daily, and has something exceptional on their profile that sets them apart.

What You'll Do

• Build and own the AI/ML intelligence layer, including recommendation systems and ranking algorithms.

• Develop LLM-powered matching to improve candidate–role alignment in production.

• Architect and maintain production-grade data pipelines and services integrated with the core stack.

• Collaborate cross-functionally to translate product goals into shipped features.

• Deliver end-to-end features with full ownership, shipping to production on a daily cadence.

What We're Looking For

Must-haves (dealbreakers):

• 3+ years of experience as a software engineer building and shipping end-to-end product features in production environments.

• Proficiency with LLM APIs and a track record of building LLM-powered features in production.

• Experience building recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, or ML-powered matching systems.

Required skills & experience:

• Proficiency with TypeScript and React in production applications.

• Experience with Supabase, Prisma, and database design in production systems.

• Experience building and maintaining production data pipelines and services.

• Comfortable in fast-paced startup environments with rapid iteration and daily shipping cycles.

• Proficiency with Cursor, Typesense, and trigger.dev (or comparable tools) in production-grade projects.

Nice to have:

• Experience with Typesense or similar search/ranking infrastructure.

• Experience with trigger.dev or similar workflow automation tools in production.

• Demonstrated exceptional technical achievement — top university academic record, strong open-source contributions, or notable personal/side projects.

Culture fit:

• Openness to collaborative, in-person hackerhouse-style working environments, including potential time in Latin America.

• Willingness to work 6 days per week in a high-intensity, early-stage environment.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $130,000 – $170,000 USD per year

• Visa sponsorship available

• Foundational equity opportunity at a pre-seed stage company

Location

This is a hybrid role based in San Francisco, CA. The team works primarily in-person and values close collaboration. Candidates should expect a predominantly on-site presence in San Francisco, with potential travel to or time spent in Latin America for team offsites or hackerhouses.