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Founding Engineer Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Prior experience at an early-stage startup, ideally as a Founding or early engineer, is a strong plus. * Prior experience building consumer hardware products is a strong plus.

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Company Description Our client has been at the forefront of algorithmic trading since its founding ... The Lead Software Engineer will be our most senior software engineer, leading and managing software ...

Company Description Our client has been at the forefront of algorithmic trading since its founding ... The Lead Software Engineer will be our most senior software engineer, leading and managing software ...

About Us HBK Engineering, LLC is a fully licensed, professional engineering design firm ... Since our founding in 1998, we have earned a reputation for delivering outstanding, accurate ...

About Us HBK Engineering, LLC is a fully licensed, professional engineering design firm ... Since our founding in 1998, we have earned a reputation for delivering outstanding, accurate ...

About Us HBK Engineering, LLC is a fully licensed, professional engineering design firm ... Since our founding in 1998, we have earned a reputation for delivering outstanding, accurate ...

Showing results 21-40

Founding Engineer information

See Illinois salary details

$29.1K

$67.2K

$114.3K

How much do founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding engineer in Illinois is $67,213.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $49,900.00 and $76,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a founding engineer?

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 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 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 cities in Illinois are hiring for Founding Engineer jobs?

Cities in Illinois with the most Founding Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Founding Engineer job openings in Illinois as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, 22% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $67,213 per year, or $32.3 per hour.

Lead Full-Stack Engineer - Backend Focus

Humana

Chicago, IL • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 8 days ago


Humana rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 267 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

170th of 315 rated insurance


Job description

Become a part of our caring community
The Lead Software Engineer codes software applications based on business requirements. The Lead Software Engineer works on problems of diverse scope and complexity ranging from moderate to substantial.

As Centerwell builds its AI engineering function from the ground up, we need a platform foundation strong enough to support everything that comes next. As Lead Full-Stack Engineer focused on platform and API engineering, you will design and build the service layer that connects AI capabilities, data systems, and product frontends-setting the standards for how services are built, secured, and operated across the team.

You will work with meaningful architectural scope, making decisions that span API design, security patterns, and deployment practices. The platform you build will serve care teams and patients across hundreds of Centerwell clinics. If you want to build platforms that others build on-and do it in service of better primary care-this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities

  • Platform and API Architecture:** Design and lead development of core backend services, REST and GraphQL APIs, and service-to-service integrations that connect all layers of Centerwell's AI product stack.

  • Security and Compliance by Design:** Establish patterns for authentication, authorization, rate limiting, PHI access control, and audit logging. Ensure HIPAA compliance is embedded in platform design from day one-not bolted on after the fact.

  • AI and LLM Integration Patterns:** Define and implement reusable patterns for integrating AI capabilities into product APIs, including LLM routing, streaming responses, tool orchestration, and model output handling.

  • Observability and Reliability:** Build logging, monitoring, and alerting infrastructure so the platform is operable and debuggable at scale.

  • Full-Stack Feature Delivery:** Contribute to product feature development end-to-end using TypeScript and Next.js, from server-side APIs to rendered UI.

  • Architecture Reviews and Standards:** Drive architecture reviews and define backend engineering standards that the full engineering team builds on.


Use your skills to make an impact

Required Qualifications

  • B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

  • 8+ years of software engineering experience with deep expertise in backend and platform engineering

  • Strong proficiency in TypeScript and/or Python for API and service development

  • Proven track record building scalable, production-grade REST or GraphQL APIs

  • Solid understanding of authentication (OAuth2, OIDC), API security patterns, and authorization model design

  • Working knowledge of HIPAA requirements, particularly secure transmission, storage, and access control for PHI

  • Experience with Next.js and React sufficient for full-stack feature contribution

  • Demonstrated ownership of complex backend systems end-to-end, from architecture through production operation

  • Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools and LLM coding harnesses (Claude Code, Pi Agent, Cursor, Codex, or similar)

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in healthcare, financial services, or other highly regulated industries

  • Exposure to event-driven architecture, microservices, or API gateway patterns at scale

  • Familiarity with AI/LLM integration patterns, including streaming APIs and tool-use orchestration

  • Experience in a greenfield or team-founding engineering environment

Additional Information

The candidate must live close to one of our designated IT locations: NYC, NY; Louisville, KY; Tampa, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Dallas/Frisco, TX; Boston, MA; Washington, D.C: Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Chicago, IL, or Charlotte, NC.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Pay Range

The compensation range below reflects a good faith estimate of starting base pay for full time (40 hours per week) employment at the time of posting. The pay range may be higher or lower based on geographic location and individual pay will vary based on demonstrated job related skills, knowledge, experience, education, certifications, etc.


$129,300 - $177,800 per year


This job is eligible for a bonus incentive plan. This incentive opportunity is based upon company and/or individual performance.

Description of Benefits

Humana, Inc. and its affiliated subsidiaries (collectively, "Humana") offers competitive benefits that support whole-person well-being. Associate benefits are designed to encourage personal wellness and smart healthcare decisions for you and your family while also knowing your life extends outside of work. Among our benefits, Humana provides medical, dental and vision benefits, 401(k) retirement savings plan, time off (including paid time off, company and personal holidays, paid parental and caregiver leave), short-term and long-term disability, life insurance and many other opportunities.
About Us
About Humana: Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) is a leading U.S. healthcare company. Through our Humana insurance services and our CenterWell healthcare services, we make it easier for the millions of people we serve to achieve their best health - delivering the care and service they need, when they need it. These efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare and Medicaid, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large. Learn more about what we offer atHumana.comand atCenterWell.com.


Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of Humana not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. It is also the policy of Humana to take affirmative action, in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and VEVRAA, to employ and to advance in employment individuals with disability or protected veteran status, and to base all employment decisions only on valid job requirements. This policy shall apply to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, recall, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and selection for training, including apprenticeship, at all levels of employment.


What Humana employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Humana logo

About Humana

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, KY., is a leading health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services that incorporate an integrated approach to lifelong well-being. By leveraging the strengths of its core businesses, Humana believes it can better explore opportunities for existing and emerging adjacencies in health care that can further enhance wellness opportunities for the millions of people across the nation with whom the company has relationships.

Industry

Health care and social assistance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Louisville, KY, US

Year founded

1961

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