Founding Engineer (AI/ML)

About the Role This is a founding engineering role at a pre-seed AI recruiting marketplace, where you will own the entire intelligence layer: the recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, and LLM-powered matching that connect candidates with the right roles. It sits at the core of how the product works, and you will build it from the ground up working directly with the founding team. What You'll Do Own the AI/ML intelligence layer end to end, including recommendation, ranking, and retrieval systems. Build and iterate on LLM-powered matching that measurably improves candidate-to-role alignment. Take features from problem definition all the way to production, shipping on a daily cadence. Architect and maintain the production data pipelines and services that models depend on. Partner directly with founders to translate product goals into shipped systems. What We're Looking For 2 to 5 years of production software engineering experience, with genuine applied ML depth and models shipped to real users. Hands-on experience building recommender systems, ranking algorithms, or ML-powered matching in production. This is the most important requirement. Strong proficiency in TypeScript or Python; either language on its own is sufficient. Production experience working with LLM APIs and building LLM-powered features. Hands-on experience with production ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or equivalent. Experience building and maintaining production data pipelines and services. Strong CS fundamentals and a track record of thriving in fast-paced, unstructured startup environments with rapid iteration cycles. A standout technical profile: strong open-source contributions, notable personal projects, or a rigorous CS background. Background at a credible VC-backed startup or a well-regarded product company. Existing U.S. work authorization or eligibility for available sponsorship routes. Nice to have: React, Supabase, Prisma, Typesense, trigger.dev, embeddings, and vector search. Compensation & Benefits Salary: $130,000 to $170,000 annually, plus competitive founding-hire equity. Visa sponsorship is available for eligible candidates. Location On-site in San Francisco, California , 6 days per week. Relocation assistance is available for candidates moving to the Bay Area.