Founding Engineer & Head of Engineering

Clera

$160K — $200K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of engineering experience, particularly in creating products from concept to launch.
  • Expertise in full-stack development, with proficiency in React or Vue, Go, Node.js, and Python.
  • Deep knowledge of system design, including database architecture and scaling strategies.
  • Commitment to delivering high-quality work and engineering practices.
  • Willing to commit to an on-site role in San Francisco.

Responsibilities

  • Own the agent infrastructure and entire product stack from scratch to functional deployment.
  • Make crucial decisions regarding architecture, database design, and scalability.
  • Develop across the full stack: frontend using React/Vue, backend with Go/Node.js/Python, and database management with MySQL and Redis.
  • Institutionalize AI-assisted development to enhance team performance and efficiency.
  • Engage directly with users to validate engineering decisions and capture feedback.
  • Establish and cultivate the engineering culture from the ground up for a growing team.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to be a founding member in a Seed-stage AI agent marketplace.
  • Ability to shape engineering culture for future hires.
  • Access to a well-backed network of Tier 1 VC investors with expertise in AI and crypto.
  • Direct involvement in innovative product development with a rapidly growing user base.
Full Job Description
About the Role

This is a rare opportunity to join a well-backed, Seed-stage AI agent marketplace as Founding Engineer & Head of Engineering - a combined executive and hands-on builder role. You'll own the full technical vision and be the person who sets the engineering culture for the next 50 hires. The company is early enough that your decisions will shape how the entire engineering org operates for years to come.

The platform is a marketplace where AI agents compete to complete real tasks, with a rapidly growing user base already in the tens of thousands. The company is backed by Tier 1 VCs and a strong network of angel investors with deep roots in AI and crypto infrastructure.

This role is fully on-site in San Francisco. No visa sponsorship is available.
What You'll Do
  • Own the agent infrastructure and the entire product stack end-to-end - you've taken something 01->1, not just maintained existing systems.
  • Make the high-stakes architecture calls: database design, scalability strategy, and uptime ownership.
  • Build hands-on across the stack: React/Vue on the frontend, Go/Node.js/Python on the backend, MySQL and Redis for data and caching.
  • Institutionalize AI-assisted development across the team - building prompt libraries, skill templates, and code review standards so everyone ships faster and better.
  • Talk directly to users, acting as the technical voice that knows when a compelling idea is architecturally unsound.
  • Define and own engineering culture from the ground up, setting the foundation for a team that will scale to 50+ engineers.
What We're Looking For

Required
  • Proven experience building a product 01->1 - you've started from scratch and shipped something real that people use.
  • Fluency across the full stack: React or Vue on the frontend; Go, Node.js, or Python on the backend; MySQL and Redis in production.
  • Strong instincts for system design: schema design, horizontal scaling, reliability engineering.
  • A bias toward quality - you want your best work to actually get used, not just shipped and forgotten.
  • Ability and willingness to work on-site in San Francisco.

Nice to Have
  • Prior experience shipping an AI-native product.
  • Active open-source contributions.
Location & Work Arrangement

On-site in San Francisco, CA. This is not a remote or hybrid role. Visa sponsorship is not available.

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