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Founding Engineer Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

SmartThings

Sr Software Engineer, Auth

Minneapolis, MN · On-site

$117K - $158K/yr

Sr Software Engineer, Auth Department: Core Cloud Employment Type: Full Time Location: Minneapolis ... As a founding member of Matter, we are a leader in the industry to help make smart homes more ...

SmartThings

Sr Software Engineer, Auth

Minneapolis, MN · Hybrid

$117K - $158K/yr

Sr Software Engineer, Auth Department: Core Cloud Employment Type: Full Time Location: Minneapolis ... As a founding member of Matter, we are a leader in the industry to help make smart homes more ...

Knobelsdorff Enterprises

Power Study Engineer

Eagan, MN · On-site

$74K - $83K/yr

Since our founding as a family-owned company in 1988, we've grown while staying true to our core ... Success in this role means delivering accurate engineering analysis, clear technical ...

SmartThings

Sr Software Engineer, Auth

Minneapolis, MN · Hybrid

$117K - $158K/yr

As a founding member of Matter, we are a leader in the industry to help make smart homes more ... You will be working with a world-class team of engineers who are passionate about what they do ...

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See Minnesota salary details

$29.4K

$67.9K

$115.6K

How much do founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding engineer in Minnesota is $67,934.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $50,400.00 and $76,900.00 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 Minnesota? The most popular types of Founding Engineer jobs in Minnesota are:
What are popular job titles related to Founding Engineer jobs in Minnesota? For Founding Engineer jobs in Minnesota, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Founding Engineer jobs in Minnesota look for? The top searched job categories for Founding Engineer jobs in Minnesota are:
What cities in Minnesota are hiring for Founding Engineer jobs? Cities in Minnesota with the most Founding Engineer job openings:
Founding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Engineer job openings in Minnesota 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 $67,934 per year, or $32.7 per hour.
Sr Software Engineer, Auth

Sr Software Engineer, Auth

SmartThings

Minneapolis, MN • On-site

$117K - $158K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 8 days ago

Job description

Sr Software Engineer, Auth
Department: Core Cloud
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Reporting To: Shannon Fung
Description
We're SmartThings, one of the leading IoT ecosystems in the world, creating the most effortless way for anyone to create a smart home. We're a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung with corporate offices in Minneapolis and the Bay Area.
More than 430 million people worldwide use SmartThings to control and manage their connected life. SmartThings delivers simple, powerful experiences across Samsung's leading portfolio of phones, TVs, and appliances. We also offer the most versatile smart home experience as an open platform with a rich partner ecosystem (think IKEA, SONOS, Honeywell, and so many more). As a founding member of Matter, we are a leader in the industry to help make smart homes more secure, reliable and seamless to use. Come be a part of the leading edge of IoT innovation!
Security Management Services are critical to ensure everything inside the SmartThings Platform is secure. Our team is responsible for authentication and authorization controls, developing core APIs used by all service teams within the organization. If high volume systems critical to customer success excites you, then this opportunity is for you! You will be working with a world-class team of engineers who are passionate about what they do; each team member has an insatiable hunger for learning new technologies and improving existing ones. We're seeking candidates who share our passion and are eager to make an impact.
Key Responsibilities
This position is a hybrid role, based onsite 3 days a week at our office in Minneapolis, MN.
In this role, your primary responsibilities will include the following:
  • Working comfortably in all phases of the software development lifecycle from planning to deployment and support
  • Project ownership, working with managers to scope and define assignments, and other project criteria
  • Driving key strategic outcomes like reliability, quality, and testability
  • Operating in a test-driven, continuous integration environment
  • Working across various time zones and geographies
  • Identifying additional work items to act as a steward of systems
  • Mentoring other team members
  • Setting professional standards for the company by role modeling core values

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
Inclusive Hiring Practices
Don't meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At SmartThings, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
What You Bring On Day One (Required Qualifications)
  • BA/BS or MS in Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering, or similar discipline.
  • 5+ years of professional experience in delivering production systems.
  • Experience with backend systems and Linux operating systems.
  • Strong development skills and a willingness to learn new languages and technologies.
  • Experience writing RESTful micro services.

Desired Skills
  • Languages: Java, Kotlin, Scala.
  • AWS experience
  • Frameworks: Cats Effect, Micronaut
  • Databases: DynamoDB
  • Monitoring and analytics: Datadog, Sumo Logic

SmartThings Benefits
  • We offer an attractive compensation package with comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health; an HSA with employer contribution; life & disability insurance; FSAs for health and dependent care expenses; a competitive 401k with a 5% employer match, and more.
  • All of our employees enjoy unlimited PTO, 12 paid holidays, and a generous parental leave policy (8 weeks fully paid parental leave and 8 more fully paid weeks for childbirth recovery leave).
  • Eligible employees benefit from our education reimbursement program, and all employees enjoy access to learning resources through O'Reilly.
  • Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is embedded into our culture and our work, and everyone has frequent opportunities to join forums and groups and participate in ongoing projects.
  • We offer a parking stipend to cover the monthly garage cost. EV chargers are also onsite.
  • In-office catered lunches on Thursdays.
  • Access to the onsite gym.

Base compensation range for this position is $117,000 to $158,000. Actual base within this range will depend on many factors including experience, skills, technical expertise and market alignment. In addition, this role is eligible for a 20% annual target bonus based heavily on individual performance.
At SmartThings, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all. If you require accommodations to participate in our hiring process or to perform the requirements of the job, we will work with you to meet your needs in compliance with applicable laws. Please reach out to talent@smartthings.com and a member of our Talent Acquisition team will connect with you further!

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