Founding Engineer
Clera · On site, San Francisco, US
200,000 - 300,000 USD / Year · Posted Jun 3, 2026
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About the job
ABOUT THE ROLE
A fast-moving, early-stage startup in San Francisco is looking for a Founding Engineer to join as one of the first technical hires. This is a rare opportunity to work directly with the founding team, own product decisions end-to-end, and help shape the technical direction of the company from day one. You'll wear multiple hats, move fast, and have a direct impact on what gets built and how.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Build and ship full-stack features across the product in a 0-to-1 environment
- Own product decisions and contribute to roadmap prioritization alongside founders
- Set early engineering standards, architecture decisions, and development practices
- Collaborate cross-functionally in a small, high-trust team with minimal hierarchy
- Iterate rapidly based on user feedback and business needs
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Required:
- 3–7 years of full-stack software development experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent from a top-20 CS program
- Strong product sense and comfort owning decisions in a small, cross-functional team
- Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-paced founding-team environments
- Based in San Francisco, CA or willing to relocate
- Must be legally eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship
Nice to Have:
- Experience at a FAANG-scale organization and/or an early-stage startup (a mix of both is ideal)
- Prior experience shipping products in a 0-to-1 context
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
- Salary: $200,000 – $300,000 USD annually
- Equity and additional benefits commensurate with a founding-team role
LOCATION
This role is on-site in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be based in San Francisco or willing to relocate. Visa sponsorship is not available.
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