Founding Engineer
Job Description
Job Description
People Hive is supporting a client in San Francisco in the search for a highly skilled Founding Engineer to join the business as its first engineering hire.
This is an opportunity to shape the technical direction and engineering culture of a fast-moving, YC-backed startup focused on the future of AI-powered commerce.
The successful candidate will have significant ownership across product architecture, full-stack development and the implementation of AI agent technologies. The Founding Engineer will work directly with customers, translate feedback into shipped features, and build robust and scalable infrastructure from the ground up.
Critical Requirements
3–7 years of professional software engineering experience
Proven experience at a Series A, Series B or fast-moving technology company
Demonstrated experience building or working with AI agents and agent-based systems
Strong full-stack proficiency with TypeScript, Node.js, Express, React and Next.js
Ability to independently ship features across the entire stack
High agency, strong sense of ownership and comfort with ambiguity
Strong startup mindset with the willingness to wear multiple hats
Important Requirements
Experience with PostgreSQL, Redis and asynchronous systems
Experience with browser automation, scraping and retrieval infrastructure
Experience with AI agent orchestration, context management and evaluations
Experience with production systems, observability and workflow orchestration
Nice to Have
Experience with MCP servers and developer tools
Background in e-commerce, retail, search, attribution or analytics
Degree from a top-50 university
Benefits
Unlimited PTO
Health insurance
401(k)
Bay Club gym membership
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Working arrangement: On-site
Employment: Full-time
Salary: $160,000–$200,000 per year
People Hive HR Consultancies LLC is acting as the recruitment partner for this vacancy. Applications will be handled confidentially and shared with the client as part of the recruitment process.
Job Reference: PH-ANS-105