Job description
ABOUT THE ROLE
We're a small, high-ownership product team building real-world AI and automation products. As a Backend-Leaning Product Engineer, you'll own customer-facing features end-to-end — from design through shipping and iteration. This is a foundational role where you'll make real product and engineering trade-offs, navigate messy integrations, and move fast with strong judgment.
You'll work closely with founders and customers in a hybrid San Francisco environment. This role is a great fit if you thrive in ambiguity, love shipping things that matter, and want outsized ownership at an early-stage startup.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Own features end-to-end from initial design through launch and iteration.
- Make product and engineering decisions independently, without heavy PM support.
- Build and maintain backend systems, APIs, data models, and automation pipelines.
- Integrate with external tools, legacy systems, and messy third-party services.
- Design workflows and orchestration layers for AI/automation-driven products.
- Debug production issues and apply strong engineering judgment under pressure.
- Balance full-stack work when required, with a clear emphasis on backend ownership.
- Collaborate closely with founders, customers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- Backend-focused software engineering experience — you can design, implement, and ship customer-facing backend features independently.
- Proven track record of owning the full lifecycle of customer-facing features: ideation, implementation, and iteration based on feedback.
- Experience in early-stage startup or high-ambiguity environments (founding engineer, early engineer, or equivalent).
- Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills.
- Must be legally eligible to work in the US without employer visa sponsorship.
- Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate — hybrid/in-office required.
Nice to Have
- Experience integrating with external systems, third-party APIs, or legacy platforms.
- Applied AI or workflow/orchestration experience: agentic workflows, RAG pipelines, or LLM-enabled features.
- Python proficiency; modern web/backend stacks are welcome — engineering quality matters more than specific stack. - 0-to-1 product building experience. Not a fit if you are: frontend-only, data/internal-tools-only, pure DevOps/SRE without product ownership, or pure research/ML without a shipping track record.
COMPENSATION
& BENEFITS
- Base salary: Up to $275,000 depending on experience
- Equity: Meaningful early-stage equity package
- Visa sponsorship: Not available — must be authorized to work in the US LOCATION This role is on-site / hybrid in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be based in SF or willing to relocate.