About the RoleWe're a small, high-ownership product team building real-world AI and automation products. As a
Backend-Leaning Product Engineer, you'll own customer-facing features end-to-end - from design through shipping and iteration. This is a foundational role where you'll make real product and engineering trade-offs, navigate messy integrations, and move fast with strong judgment. You'll work closely with founders and customers in a hybrid San Francisco environment.
This role is a great fit if you thrive in ambiguity, love shipping things that matter, and want outsized ownership at an early-stage startup.
What You'll Do- Own features end-to-end from initial design through launch and iteration.
- Make product and engineering decisions independently, without heavy PM support.
- Build and maintain backend systems, APIs, data models, and automation pipelines.
- Integrate with external tools, legacy systems, and messy third-party services.
- Design workflows and orchestration layers for AI/automation-driven products.
- Debug production issues and apply strong engineering judgment under pressure.
- Balance full-stack work when required, with a clear emphasis on backend ownership.
- Collaborate closely with founders, customers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
What We're Looking ForRequired:- Backend-focused software engineering experience - you can design, implement, and ship customer-facing backend features independently.
- Proven track record of owning the full lifecycle of customer-facing features: ideation, implementation, and iteration based on feedback.
- Experience in early-stage startup or high-ambiguity environments (founding engineer, early engineer, or equivalent).
- Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills.
- Must be legally eligible to work in the US without employer visa sponsorship.
- Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate - hybrid/in-office required.
Nice to Have:- Experience integrating with external systems, third-party APIs, or legacy platforms.
- Applied AI or workflow/orchestration experience: agentic workflows, RAG pipelines, or LLM-enabled features.
- Python proficiency; modern web/backend stacks are welcome - engineering quality matters more than specific stack.
- 0-to-1 product building experience.
Not a fit if you are: frontend-only, data/internal-tools-only, pure DevOps/SRE without product ownership, or pure research/ML without a shipping track record.
Compensation & Benefits- Base salary: Up to $275,000 depending on experience
- Equity: Meaningful early-stage equity package
- Visa sponsorship: Not available - must be authorized to work in the US
LocationThis role is
on-site / hybrid in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be based in SF or willing to relocate.
