Ex-Founder / Ex-CTO

Clera

• $150K — $250K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Experience founding a venture-backed or bootstrapped company.
  • Previous role as CTO or first technical hire at a startup.
  • Proven track record of shipping impactful products.
  • Background in running a service business with insights into AI workforce tooling.
  • Willingness to commit to a full-time, on-site role in San Francisco.

Responsibilities

  • Define and own the first 90-day scope in collaboration with the founder.
  • Lead technical and product decisions at the company level.
  • Help hire and establish standards for the initial engineering team.
  • Contribute to the product direction for an AI workforce platform.
  • Work closely with the team in a high-trust, low-process environment.

Benefits

  • Equity tailored for someone actively building the company.
  • Relocation support provided.
  • Visa sponsorship available.
Full Job Description
About the Role

This is the technical leadership seat at an early-stage AI infrastructure startup building the operating layer for AI-native service businesses. You will shape the product, the engineering culture, and the direction of the company from day one. The scope is built around what you do best, whether that is engineering, product, or the operating side of the business.
What You'll Do
  • Define and own your first 90-day scope in partnership with the founder, with real latitude to set priorities.
  • Lead technical or product decisions at the company level, not just within a team or workstream.
  • Help hire and set the standard for the first engineering team.
  • Contribute to product direction for an agentic workforce platform serving small, high-leverage service businesses.
  • Work in person, at pace, with high trust and minimal process overhead.
What We're Looking For
  • Founded a venture-backed or bootstrapped company, regardless of outcome.
  • Served as CTO or a first technical hire at a startup, or shipped a product that a team still credits you for.
  • Alternatively, ran a service business and understands from the inside what AI workforce tooling can replace.
  • Seeks a full-time, committed role rather than a fractional or consulting engagement.
  • Able and willing to relocate to San Francisco and work on-site six days a week.
Compensation & Benefits

Salary range: $150,000 to $250,000 USD annually. Equity sized for someone building the company, not joining it. Relocation support and visa sponsorship are available.
Location

On-site in San Francisco, United States. Six days per week in person. Relocation assistance is provided.

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