Founding Product Engineer

Clera

$140K — $180K *
Legal & Accounting
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 1 to 3 years of production software development experience, preferably in a startup or founder role.
  • Strong full-stack development skills, particularly in TypeScript, React, and modern backend technologies.
  • Hands-on experience building AI applications and working with LLMs.
  • Proven capability to manage features end-to-end and make engineering trade-offs under pressure.
  • Adaptability in ambiguous environments, thriving in fast-moving, high-ownership climates with minimal structure.
  • Strong product instincts combined with an entrepreneurial mindset.
  • Excellent communication skills and a commitment to high-quality work.
  • Resilience in problem-solving, with experience in DevOps, CI/CD, and production monitoring as a plus.
  • Background in legal tech or related fields is a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Build and manage core product features from data models to user interfaces.
  • Collaborate with AI engineers and attorneys to convert legal processes into effective software solutions.
  • Make architecture and tooling decisions that balance immediate output with future sustainability.
  • Develop maintainable, reliable code, taking full ownership of deployed solutions.
  • Help shape the engineering culture by setting standards and practices as the team expands.
  • Engage directly with legal experts to transform legal insights into efficient software.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to build core product features from the ground up.
  • Unique chance to influence engineering culture and standards from the start.
  • High-ownership, fast-paced working environment focused on immediate impact.
  • Collaboration with domain experts and direct customer engagement.
  • Intense learning experience in an AI-driven legal tech space.
Full Job Description
About the Role

This is a founding engineering seat at an early-stage legal AI company where you will build the core product from the ground up, working side by side with attorneys and AI engineers. You will have the rare opportunity to set engineering culture and standards while shipping software that real customers depend on every day. It is an intense, high-ownership environment with long hours and six-day weeks, built for someone who thrives on urgency and impact.
What You'll Do
  • Build and own core product features across the full stack, from data models to the attorney- and client-facing interfaces used daily.
  • Partner with AI engineers and licensed attorneys to translate legal workflows and contract review playbooks into reliable, production-grade software.
  • Make pragmatic architecture and tooling decisions that balance speed now with a solid foundation for the future.
  • Write maintainable code, build for reliability, and take complete ownership of what you ship in production.
  • Help define engineering culture, coding standards, and hiring practices as the team grows.
  • Work directly with domain experts to turn real legal judgment into fast-shipping, high-quality software.
What We're Looking For
  • 1 to 3 years of building and shipping production software, ideally at an early-stage startup or as a founder.
  • Strong full-stack capability: TypeScript and React on the frontend, a modern backend stack, and relational databases.
  • Hands-on experience building with AI and LLMs, whether professionally or in personal projects.
  • A track record of owning features end-to-end and making sound engineering trade-offs under pressure.
  • Comfort with ambiguity and proven ability to thrive in fast-moving, high-ownership environments with minimal process.
  • Product instincts and an entrepreneurial, owner-oriented mindset.
  • Excellent judgment, strong communication skills, and a high personal bar for quality.
  • Resilience and persistence when initial approaches fail, with experience in modern DevOps, CI/CD, and production monitoring as a plus.
  • Background in legal tech, contract management, document processing, or working directly with domain experts such as attorneys is a plus.
Compensation & Benefits

Salary range: $140,000 to $180,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Location

On-site in San Francisco, California. This is a fully in-person role, six days per week.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Clera

More Legal & Accounting Jobs

Find similar Founding Product Engineer jobs: