Founding Engineer (AI/ML)

Clera

$130K — $170K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 2 to 5 years of production software engineering experience, focusing on actual applied ML work.
  • Hands-on experience building recommender systems or ML-powered matching in production.
  • Proficiency in either TypeScript or Python.
  • Experience with LLM APIs and shipping LLM-powered features.
  • Experience in building and maintaining production data pipelines and services.
  • Strong computer science fundamentals with adaptability to fast-paced startup environments.
  • Significant contributions to open-source or notable personal projects are a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Own the AI/ML intelligence layer for the platform.
  • Develop and enhance LLM-powered matching systems.
  • Take features from initial concept to production with a fast-paced delivery schedule.
  • Architect and manage production data pipelines for model operations.
  • Collaborate closely with the founding team to align product goals with engineering outputs.

Benefits

  • Founding-hire equity potential, enhancing long-term investment in the company.
  • Visa sponsorship available for eligible candidates.
  • Relocation assistance for candidates outside the Bay Area.
Full Job Description
About the Role

This is a founding engineering role at a pre-seed AI recruiting marketplace, where you will own the intelligence layer end to end: the recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, and LLM-powered matching that connect candidates to roles. It sits at the absolute core of the product and is yours to architect, build, and ship.
What You'll Do
  • Own the full AI/ML intelligence layer, covering recommendation, ranking, and retrieval.
  • Build and iterate on LLM-powered matching to measurably improve candidate-role alignment.
  • Take features from problem definition to production on a daily shipping cadence.
  • Architect and maintain the production data pipelines and services that run the models.
  • Work directly with the founding team to translate product goals into shipped systems.
What We're Looking For
  • 2 to 5 years of production software engineering experience, with genuine applied ML depth, meaning models shipped to real users, not just notebooks.
  • Hands-on experience building recommender systems, ranking algorithms, or ML-powered matching in production. This is the most important requirement.
  • Strong proficiency in TypeScript or Python; either is sufficient on its own.
  • Production experience with LLM APIs and shipping LLM-powered features.
  • Experience building and maintaining production data pipelines and services.
  • Strong CS fundamentals and a track record of thriving in fast-paced, unstructured startup environments.
  • Something outstanding: strong open-source contributions, notable personal projects, or a rigorous CS background.
  • Nice to have: React, Supabase, Prisma, Typesense, trigger.dev, embeddings, and vector search experience.
  • Must hold existing U.S. work authorization or be eligible for available sponsorship routes.
Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $130,000 to $170,000 annually, plus competitive founding-hire equity. Visa sponsorship is available for eligible candidates.
Location

On-site in San Francisco, California, 6 days per week. Relocation assistance is available for candidates outside the Bay Area.

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