Founding Engineer (Applied AI)

About the Role This is a founding engineering role on the intelligence layer of an early-stage construction-tech AI startup. You'll work on computer vision and ML systems that parse construction blueprints and automate material takeoffs and cost estimation — work that directly shapes how fast the core product ships and improves. What You'll Do Own the intelligence layer: design, build, and iterate on computer vision and AI systems — not the application layer. Apply the latest CV models, LLMs, and AI tooling to production problems. Ship prototypes quickly, gather user feedback, and drive rapid improvement cycles. Coordinate and orchestrate multiple ML models within a model-garden architecture. Roll up your sleeves for "schlep" work — the unglamorous tasks that come with building at the earliest stage. What We're Looking For Hands-on applied CV/ML experience — you've shipped AI to real users in production. Strong Python skills with a foundation in machine learning and deep learning. Proven 0-to-1 builder mindset: you can take an ambiguous problem and drive it to a working system. Growth-oriented thinker — trajectory and learning velocity matter more than years of experience. Clear, empathetic communicator who is honest about tradeoffs and blockers. Background from high-caliber AI/ML or autonomy teams (e.g., self-driving, robotics, research labs, or top AI companies) is a strong signal. Bonus: construction industry background, or experience founding or building a product people paid for. US citizenship is required. Visa sponsorship is not available. Compensation & Benefits Base salary: $120,000 – $180,000 USD annually. Equity available as part of the founding team package. Location On-site in San Francisco, CA, USA. Candidates must be based in SF or willing to relocate.