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Founding Ai Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Founding AI PM

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

Be a strong thought partner to engineering -- not just a ticket writer * Drive quality improvements ... Experience as a founding PM, Head of Product, or equivalent at a startup * Shipped AI-native ...

New

Founding AI PM

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

Be a strong thought partner to engineering -- not just a ticket writer * Drive quality improvements ... Experience as a founding PM, Head of Product, or equivalent at a startup * Shipped AI-native ...

New

Founding AI PM

Alameda, CA · On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

Be a strong thought partner to engineering -- not just a ticket writer * Drive quality improvements ... Experience as a founding PM, Head of Product, or equivalent at a startup * Shipped AI-native ...

New

Founding AI PM

San Jose, CA · On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

Be a strong thought partner to engineering -- not just a ticket writer * Drive quality improvements ... Experience as a founding PM, Head of Product, or equivalent at a startup * Shipped AI-native ...

New

Founding AI PM

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

Be a strong thought partner to engineering -- not just a ticket writer * Drive quality improvements ... Experience as a founding PM, Head of Product, or equivalent at a startup * Shipped AI-native ...

New

This is a founding builder-operator role focused on turning AI from scattered experiments into ... AI-Native Infrastructure - Partner with engineering and IT on connectors, permissions, local model ...

This is a founding builder-operator role focused on turning AI from scattered experiments into ... AI-Native Infrastructure - Partner with engineering and IT on connectors, permissions, local model ...

Rengo AI - AI Engineer

New York, NY · On-site +1

$125K - $150K/yr

The Role As a Founding AI Engineer , you will build the core system that powers AI-driven portfolio monitoring for institutional investors . You will design systems that continuously: * ingest ...

We are hiring a Founding AI Native Lead, reporting directly to the co-founder and working closely ... Requirements • 5-8+ years across product, engineering, AI workflows, founder office, or Chief of ...

As Revic's Founding GTM AI Engineer, you will work directly with Revic's CEO, Head of Revenue, and Head of Engineering to design and build the systems that translate real customer conversations and ...

About the role This is a founding AI/ML role. You'll own the intelligence layer that sits at the ... Strong engineering fundamentals - you can build the infrastructure your models need, not just the ...

Founding Staff AI Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

About the Role We're hiring a Founding Staff AI Engineer to build and ship production-grade AI that powers the core workflows of Qumis. You'll partner closely with the CTO and co-founders to design ...

AI Automation Intern Founding AI Team Reporting Directly to Partner If you want to move fast, ship ... Proficiency with Claude (Anthropic) as a daily working tool -- prompt engineering, multi-step ...

AI Engineering Lead

Denver, CO · On-site +1

$105K - $139K/yr

We are hiring a founding AI Engineer Lead to build and scale AI capabilities from the ground up. This role will directly shape how AI is built and delivered across the organization. This is a hands ...

Showing results 41-60

Founding Ai Engineer information

See salary details

$25

$53

$76

How much do founding ai engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average hourly pay for founding ai engineer in the United States is $53.63, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $43.27 and $62.26 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a founding AI engineer?

A Founding AI Engineer is an early member of a startup's technical team, responsible for designing, building, and implementing artificial intelligence systems that form the core of the company's product or service. This role often involves working closely with company founders to set technical direction, make key architectural decisions, and develop scalable machine learning solutions from the ground up. Founding AI Engineers are expected to wear multiple hats, contribute to both research and engineering efforts, and help establish best practices as the company grows. They play a crucial role in shaping the company's technology culture and long-term vision.

What are some unique challenges a founding AI engineer might face in an early-stage startup environment?

As a Founding AI Engineer in a startup, you'll often be responsible for both building core AI systems and setting up foundational engineering practices. Unique challenges include balancing rapid prototyping with long-term scalability, working with limited resources, and defining the technical roadmap alongside product priorities. You'll likely collaborate closely with founders, product managers, and sometimes even customers, making adaptability and strong communication essential. This role offers significant autonomy but also requires comfort with ambiguity and frequent shifts in direction as the company grows.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a founding AI engineer?

To thrive as a Founding AI Engineer, you need deep expertise in machine learning, software engineering, and algorithm development, typically supported by an advanced degree in computer science or a related field. Proficiency with frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP), and version control systems is essential, along with experience deploying AI models to production. Strong problem-solving, adaptability, and entrepreneurial mindset distinguish top performers in this role. These skills are vital for building innovative AI solutions from the ground up, shaping product direction, and driving early-stage company success.

What is the difference between Founding Ai Engineer vs AI Engineer?

AspectFounding Ai EngineerAI Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, AI, or related fields; experience in AI developmentBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, AI, or related fields; experience in AI development
Work EnvironmentStartup or early-stage company, often in a founding or core team roleEstablished companies, tech firms, or startups with ongoing AI projects
Employer & Industry UsageFounding AI roles are common in startups and new venturesWidely used across industries including tech, finance, healthcare, and more

The main difference is that a Founding AI Engineer is typically an early team member in a startup, often involved in shaping the company's AI strategy from the ground up, whereas an AI Engineer generally works within established organizations on ongoing AI projects. Both roles require similar technical credentials but differ in scope, environment, and level of responsibility.

More about Founding Ai Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Founding Ai Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Founding Ai Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Founding Ai Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Founding Ai Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Founding Ai Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, 21% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 67% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 30% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,552 per year, or $53.6 per hour.

Founding AI PM

Readdy

Sunnyvale, CA • On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

Other

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

🚀 About Readdy.ai


Readdy.ai is building an AI-native website creation platform that turns natural language prompts, screenshots, or templates into production-ready multi-page websites within minutes. ⚡️


Our product is already gaining strong global traction through a product-led growth motion 🌍, helping founders, creators, and product teams move from idea to launch significantly faster.


We're now looking for our Founding PM — someone who will help define not just features, but the entire product philosophy as we scale. 🤖✨


Role Overview


This is not a typical PM role. As our Founding Product Manager, you will be one of the earliest product hires, working directly with the founders to shape product strategy, define what we build, and establish how the product team operates.


You'll own the product end-to-end — from raw user insights to shipped features — and your decisions will have an outsized, lasting impact on Readdy's trajectory. This role is for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast, and wants to leave a fingerprint on a product used by tens of thousands of people worldwide.


Key Responsibilities


1️⃣ Define the Product Foundation

  • Partner directly with founders to set product vision, strategy, and roadmap
  • Establish product processes, frameworks, and rituals from the ground up
  • Make high-stakes prioritization calls with incomplete information
  • Own the product narrative — internally with the team and externally with users


2️⃣ Deep User & Market Understanding

  • Lead user research and synthesize insights into clear product bets
  • Go beyond feature requests to uncover the underlying jobs-to-be-done
  • Build feedback loops with our global user base across multiple channels
  • Use product data and behavioral signals to validate or kill hypotheses quickly


3️⃣ AI Product & Technical Leadership

  • Develop a nuanced understanding of LLM capabilities, limitations, and emerging behaviors
  • Identify product gaps at the intersection of user needs and model constraints
  • Be a strong thought partner to engineering — not just a ticket writer
  • Drive quality improvements in AI-generated output and workflow reliability


4️⃣ 0→1 Execution

  • Take ideas from napkin sketch to shipped product with minimal hand-holding
  • Prototype rapidly using AI tools, no-code, or lightweight builds to de-risk decisions
  • Drive full launch cycles: spec → build → ship → learn → iterate
  • Own activation, retention, and usability metrics for the features you ship


5️⃣ Forward-Looking Product Thinking

  • Stay at the frontier of AI — LLMs, agents, multi-modal, autonomous workflows
  • Proactively bring emerging technology into product strategy before it's obvious
  • Help Readdy stay ahead of the curve in a fast-moving competitive landscape



Basic Qualifications


  • 3-7 years in Product Management, with at least one founding or very early-stage role.
  • Proven track record taking a product from 0→1 (ideally to meaningful revenue or scale)
  • Experience building AI products, SaaS, or developer/creator tools
  • Independently owns problems end-to-end with strong bias for action
  • Deep user empathy paired with sharp analytical thinking
  • Fluent in English; working proficiency in Mandarin Chinese


Preferred Qualifications


  • Experience as a founding PM, Head of Product, or equivalent at a startup
  • Shipped AI-native products involving LLMs, agents, or generative workflows
  • Hands-on with AI prototyping tools (prompting, automation, no-code)
  • Comfortable with data (SQL, analytics platforms) and light scripting (Python)
  • Familiarity with PLG growth mechanics and self-serve SaaS


What We Value


  • Founders' mindset — you treat the product like it's yours
  • Intellectual curiosity about where AI is going, not just where it is
  • High comfort with ambiguity and rapid iteration
  • Extreme ownership: you don't wait to be asked


Compensation & Benefits


  • Base salary: USD $200,000 – $250,000
  • Meaningful equity — commensurate with a founding team member
  • Direct seat at the table with founders on product and company direction
  • Opportunity to build and lead the product function as the company scales


Work Authorization

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire.