Forward Deployed Engineer

Clera

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

Qualifications

  • 2 to 9 years of software engineering experience, specifically in early-stage startups instead of large companies.
  • Completed or in-progress degree in engineering, computer science, or a quantitative field from a reputable technical university.
  • Experience as a founder or early engineer at a venture-backed seed or Series A startup; experience in large tech firms is not preferred.
  • Proven history of shipping and owning production systems end-to-end multiple times.
  • Proficiency in TypeScript, React, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, and AWS; familiarity with Bun or Effect-TS is advantageous.
  • Ability to work with AI coding agents while maintaining production quality.
  • Broad engineering skills spanning various platforms and runtimes.

Responsibilities

  • Own the agent platform and integrate systems end-to-end.
  • Define engineering standards and patterns for future hires.
  • Continuously ship production releases in collaboration with the founding team.
  • Shape the architecture for agent orchestration and self-healing systems.
  • Develop a comprehensive integration knowledge base.

Benefits

  • Visa sponsorship available for qualifying candidates.
  • Opportunity to shape the engineering culture and practices from day one.
Full Job Description
About the Role

This is a founding engineer position at an early-stage AI infrastructure startup building an agentic integration platform. You will own core systems end-to-end alongside the founding team, setting the engineering patterns that every future hire builds on. The work is hands-on, high-stakes, and directly shapes the product from day one.
What You'll Do
  • Own the agent platform, infrastructure, and integrations runtime end-to-end.
  • Set engineering patterns and standards that the entire future engineering org will build on.
  • Ship to production constantly, working directly with the founding team.
  • Help shape the full system architecture across agent orchestration, durable execution, self-healing systems, and a growing integration knowledge base.
What We're Looking For
  • 2 to 9 years of professional software engineering experience; staff, principal, lead, or manager titles at large companies are not the right fit for this hands-on IC role.
  • A completed or in-progress engineering, computer science, or quantitative degree from a strong technical university.
  • Prior experience as a founder of a funded startup or as an early engineer at a well-backed seed or Series A startup; a career spent exclusively at large tech companies, enterprise, or consulting does not meet the bar.
  • Proven track record of shipping and owning real production systems end-to-end, multiple times.
  • Proficiency across the stack: TypeScript, React, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, and AWS; experience with Bun or Effect-TS is a plus.
  • Comfortable working with and directing multiple AI coding agents while exercising strong judgment over production quality.
  • Broad end-to-end engineering ability spanning agent platforms, infrastructure, and integration runtimes.
  • Genuine motivation for a fast-paced, high-intensity, in-person early-stage environment.
Compensation & Benefits
  • Salary range: $150,000 to $250,000 USD annually.
  • Visa sponsorship is available where an O-1 visa is a realistic path.
Location

On-site, five days a week in San Francisco, CA. Candidates based elsewhere in the US are welcome with a concrete, dated relocation plan to San Francisco.

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