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Founding Engineer Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

EQL Tech

Founding GTM Engineer

Phoenix, AZ

$120K - $170K/yr

Founding GTM Engineer (Series A Fintech / EdTech) Location: San Francisco, CA or Phoenix, AZ (In-Person, Full Time) | Seniority: Founding / Senior IC | Equity: Meaningful Founding Stake The Mission:

EQL Tech

Founding GTM Engineer

Phoenix, AZ

$120K - $170K/yr

Founding GTM Engineer (Series A Fintech / EdTech) Location: San Francisco, CA or Phoenix, AZ (In-Person, Full Time) | Seniority: Founding / Senior IC | Equity: Meaningful Founding Stake The Mission:

EQL Tech

Founding GTM Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$120K - $170K/yr

Founding GTM Engineer (Series A Fintech / EdTech) Location: San Francisco, CA or Phoenix, AZ (In-Person, Full Time) | Seniority: Founding / Senior IC | Equity: Meaningful Founding Stake The Mission:

EQL Tech

Infrastructure Engineer

Phoenix, AZ

$125K - $175K/yr

You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk's SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments ...

EQL Tech

Infrastructure Engineer

Phoenix, AZ

$125K - $175K/yr

You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk's SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments ...

EQL Tech

AI Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$125K - $175K/yr

You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk's SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments ...

EQL Tech

AI Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$125K - $175K/yr

You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk's SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments ...

EQL Tech

AI Engineer

Phoenix, AZ

$125K - $175K/yr

You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk's SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments ...

Inficare Technologies

Lead AI Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$99K - $131K/yr

Experience as a founding engineer or early technical leader in AI-driven products. * Demonstrated success delivering technically complex autonomous systems that customers actively rely on.

Nuclearn

Founding Support Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$84K - $161K/yr

You're founding this function - what you build becomes the standard as the team grows. You will operate as a senior individual contributor with high autonomy and direct influence across engineering ...

NuclearN AI

Founding Support Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$84K - $161K/yr

You're founding this function - what you build becomes the standard as the team grows. You will operate as a senior individual contributor with high autonomy and direct influence across engineering ...

Nuclearn

Founding Support Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site +1

You're founding this function - what you build becomes the standard as the team grows. You will operate as a senior individual contributor with high autonomy and direct influence across engineering ...

EQL Tech

Infrastructure Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$125K - $175K/yr

You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk's SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments ...

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All JobsFounding Engineer JobsFounding Engineer Jobs in Arizona

Founding Engineer information

See Arizona salary details

$28K

$64.6K

$110K

How much do founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding engineer in Arizona is $64,638.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48,000.00 and $73,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the biggest challenges a Founding Engineer typically faces at an early-stage startup?

As a Founding Engineer, you’ll often be tasked with building a product from the ground up while balancing rapid development with long-term technical vision. Resource constraints and evolving product requirements can require creative problem-solving and the ability to prioritize effectively. You’ll work closely with the founding team, making pivotal decisions that shape both technology and culture, so adaptability and a hands-on approach are important. While the environment can be demanding and ambiguous, it also offers unique opportunities to learn, take ownership, and have a major impact on the success of the company.

What is a Founding Engineer job?

A Founding Engineer is one of the first technical hires at a startup, responsible for building the company's core products and setting the foundation for its technology stack. They work closely with the founders, making key architectural decisions, writing production-ready code, and often wearing multiple hats across engineering, product, and strategy. This role requires a mix of deep technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced, early-stage environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Founding Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Founding Engineer, you need deep expertise in software development, system architecture, and product design, typically backed by experience with startups or building products from scratch. Familiarity with modern programming languages, cloud platforms, and agile tools such as Git, AWS, and Jira is often essential. Exceptional problem-solving, strong ownership mentality, and the ability to communicate clearly in fast-paced, unstructured environments set standout candidates apart. These skills are crucial because Founding Engineers must quickly turn vision into reality, adapt to changing needs, and help establish the technical foundation of a new company.

What are the most commonly searched types of Founding Engineer jobs in Arizona? The most popular types of Founding Engineer jobs in Arizona are:
What are popular job titles related to Founding Engineer jobs in Arizona? For Founding Engineer jobs in Arizona, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Founding Engineer jobs in Arizona look for? The top searched job categories for Founding Engineer jobs in Arizona are:
Founding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Engineer job openings in Arizona as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 46% In-person, and 54% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $64,638 per year, or $31.1 per hour.

Risk Operations Analyst (Founding Team)

EQL Tech

Phoenix, AZ • On-site

$100K - $135K/yr

Full-time

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

Risk Operations Analyst (Founding Team)

Location: San Francisco, CA or Phoenix, AZ (In-Office) Seniority: Mid-Senior Analyst Reports to: Head of Risk (ex-Stripe, Mercury, Circle, PayPal)

The Mission

Our client is building the financial infrastructure for the $900B US Public Education budget. They provide the charge card, reimbursement engine, and vendor marketplace that give families access to state Education Savings Account (ESA) funds, which average $7.5k per child per year. Backed by $16M from top-tier VCs, the company recently rejected an acquisition offer because they are committed to rebuilding the education system to ensure parents have full control over their children's learning experience.

The Team

You will be joining an in-person company, working together in the office.

  • The Founders: The founders are engineers who have run their own alternative school together. One previously worked as a Quant at Goldman Sachs, and the other built the computer vision system for the largest smart warehousing company globally, serving 1M customers/day at age 19.
  • The Core Team: You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk’s SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments Engineer from Microsoft and Goldman Sachs. The team also includes the former Deputy Director at a state ESA department and leading school choice advocates.
The Challenge: "Good Actor Fraud"

Unlike traditional fintech roles focused on external criminals, the primary challenge here is "good actor fraud". This involves families who inadvertently spend on ineligible items without realizing it due to complex state rules. The risk function is mission-critical to the program’s regulatory standing and requires a focus on education rather than just enforcement.

The Role

Reporting directly to one of the most experienced fintech risk leaders in the US - you will build the analytics and processes that keep the ESA card program safe and scalable.

  • Monitor & Investigate: Analyze charge card transactions to identify patterns of ineligible spend and emerging risk signals in real time.
  • Automate via AI Agents: Design and deploy AI-assisted workflows where agents streamline compliance processes and reduce manual review.
  • Manage the Credit Cycle: Underwrite and monitor a unique charge card portfolio that accounts for the cyclical nature of state fund disbursements.
  • SQL-Heavy Analysis: Write complex analytical queries independently to surface insights from raw data.
  • Customer Advocacy: Communicate with families with empathy when a transaction is flagged, focusing on resolution and education.

Requirements

Your Profile
  • Experience: 2–5 years in risk, credit analysis, or fraud operations.
  • Technical Skills: Expert-level SQL skills for independent, ad-hoc data analysis.
  • Product Mindset: Experience building risk frameworks from scratch (0-to-1) rather than just maintaining them.
  • Credit Depth: Strong understanding of underwriting models, portfolio monitoring, and vintage analysis.
  • Pedigree: Prior risk experience at a leading fintech like Stripe, Mercury, Goldman, or Chime.
  • Education: Quantitative background (Stats, Econometrics, Math, or CS) from a top-tier university.

Benefits

Commitment, Compensation & Benefits

This will be a big commitment, and we're aiming high. It needs to be something you are energised about taking on, or this isn't the team for you.

  • Competitive Salary: $100,000 – $135,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
  • Generous Founding Equity: We compensate you well with equity.
  • Top-Tier Backing: We've raised $16M from top-tier VCs and angels.
  • Relocation Support: You are willing to relocate to San Francisco, CA, or Phoenix, AZ, and travel to visit customers. We're an in-person company and are in the office together.
  • Comprehensive Visa Sponsorship: If you do not have a visa, we can support you.
  • Unmatched Impact: The rare opportunity to directly shape how the $900B US Public Education budget is being opened up for parents to take control of their portion (avg. $7.5k/kid/year).