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Founding Software Engineer (Palo Alto)

Palo Alto, CAOnsiteFull Time$200,000–$240,000 /yrPosted 1 month ago

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Required skills

  • Bun
  • TypeScript
  • React.js
  • Node.js
  • RAG pipelines
  • AI SDK
  • Postgres
  • Northflank

Nice to have

  • LLM fine-tuning
  • OpenAI prompt engineering
  • Serverless deployment
  • Railway
  • Vercel
  • VC-backed startups

Role summary

We are seeking a Founding Software Engineer to lead full-stack and ML development. This hands-on leadership role requires expertise in Bun (TypeScript), React.js, and machine learning systems, including RAG pipelines and production ML integration. You will guide technical vision, mentor a team, and shape technical strategy for enterprise-grade products. Responsibilities include architecting server-side features, ensuring operational excellence, and collaborating with product teams. Preferred skills include LLM fine-tuning, OpenAI prompt engineering, and serverless deployments. A minimum of 4 years of software development experience, including leadership roles, is required.

About the Role

We're seeking an experienced Founding Engineer to drive our full-stack and ML development efforts and champion innovative, scalable solutions. This is a hands-on leadership role for an individual with a strong background in Bun (TypeScript), and machine learning, who can bridge backend development, ML systems, and exceptional data engineering. In addition to coding expertise, you'll lead design discussions, mentor a high-performing team, and shape our technical strategy as we scale our enterprise-grade products to support triple-digit growth.

Key Responsibilities

💡 Technical Leadership & Strategy: Guide our technical vision with systems design, architecture reviews, and strategic planning while mentoring and leading a team of talented, ambitious builders.

• 💻 Full Stack Development: Architect, develop, and maintain server-side features using Node.js (TypeScript) and deliver scalable, user-friendly interfaces in React.js.

• 🔧 Operational Excellence: Oversee on-call rotations, troubleshoot issues promptly, and implement robust debugging strategies to ensure continuous service.

• 🎨 Product & Design Collaboration: Translate product requirements into scalable technical designs, collaborating closely with product managers, designers, and stakeholders.

• 🚀 Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Explore industry trends such as LLM fine tuning, OpenAI prompt engineering, and serverless deployments on platforms like Railway or Vercel to drive our competitive edge.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience in creating and optimizing OpenAI prompts for AI-powered applications.

• Proven track record of fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) for industry-specific applications.

• Prior experience with VC-backed startups or contributing to zero-to-one projects in large tech companies.

Qualifications

  • 4+ years of professional software development experience, including leadership or tech lead roles

  • Deep expertise in full stack development with strong proficiency in Bun (TypeScript) and React.js

  • Expertise in developing RAG pipelines for citations and similar use cases

  • Experience integrating ML solutions into production environments (Northflank, Postgres, AI SDK, or similar)

  • Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with a passion for mentoring and leading technical teams

  • Entrepreneurial mindset with an interest in startups and innovation (bonus points for aspiring founders)5

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