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Founding Engineer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Zero21

Founding Engineer - Full Stack

Washington, DC · On-site +1

We are looking for a Founding Engineer to join the team as we build out a product that will help to shape the physical future for America in the 21st century. The Why CloudRig will transform the ...

Promise

Founding Security Engineer

Washington, DC · Remote

$170K - $230K/yr

About the Role Promise is looking for a Founding Security Engineer to accelerate our business. This role requires you to work closely with builders of varying technical depth, enabling our business ...

Principled

Full Stack Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site +1

Full Stack Engineer - Fintech (Remote / MENA Focus) Principled Search is partnering with a venture ... With a small but exceptional founding team, the company is tackling one of the toughest problems in ...

Trustible

Senior Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site +1

$141K - $186K/yr

Collaborate closely with the founding team to translate product requirements into technical designs ... engineering experience, with meaningful time in full-stack roles * Strong proficiency in Python ...

Trustible

Senior Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$140K - $185K/yr

Collaborate closely with the founding team to translate product requirements into technical designs ... engineering experience, with meaningful time in full-stack roles * Strong proficiency in Python ...

STAHL

Senior Systems Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site

$118K - $162K/yr

Senior Systems Engineer WHO WE ARE: STAHL Companies provides the Program Management for its Channel ... The Channel's founding Technical Board Members include former government leaders and IT executives ...

Stahl Companies

Senior Systems Engineer

Washington, DC

$118K - $162K/yr

Description Senior Systems Engineer WHO WE ARE: STAHL Companies provides the Program Management for ... The Channel's founding Technical Board Members include former government leaders and IT executives ...

Integral

Network Engineer

Tysons, VA · On-site

Overview The Network Engineer administers, maintains, secures, and accredits the Defense Nuclear ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

Integral

Network Engineer

Tysons Corner, VA

The Network Engineer administers, maintains, secures, and accredits the Defense Nuclear Facilities ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

Integral

Software Engineer III

Tysons, VA · On-site

$58 - $78/hr

Overview The Software Engineer III provides comprehensive software engineering support for the ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

Integral

Software Engineer III

Tysons Corner, VA

$58 - $78/hr

The Software Engineer III provides comprehensive software engineering support for the Product ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

Integral

Systems Engineer III

Tysons, VA · On-site

Overview The Systems Engineer III provides comprehensive Systems Engineering support for the ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

Integral

Systems Engineer III

Tysons Corner, VA

The Systems Engineer III provides comprehensive Systems Engineering support for the Product Manager ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

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Founding Engineer information

See Washington salary details

$34K

$78.6K

$133.6K

How much do founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding engineer in Washington is $78,559.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $58,300.00 and $88,900.00 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 Washington? The most popular types of Founding Engineer jobs in Washington are:
What are popular job titles related to Founding Engineer jobs in Washington? For Founding Engineer jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Founding Engineer jobs in Washington look for? The top searched job categories for Founding Engineer jobs in Washington are:
What cities in Washington are hiring for Founding Engineer jobs? Cities in Washington with the most Founding Engineer job openings:
Founding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Engineer job openings in Washington as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 41% In-person, and 59% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $78,559 per year, or $37.8 per hour.

Founding Engineer - Full Stack

Zero21

Washington, DC

Other

Posted 26 days ago

Job description

Founding Engineer

Hi, thanks for checking out our job board!

If you're an entrepreneurial-minded builder who loves to work with great people to solve wicked problems that have a meaningful impact, read on to see if this position might be a good fit for you!

The Mission

Infrastructure means everything for economic growth and opportunity. Roads, bridges, dams, and airports dictate our ability to reduce poverty, fight climate change, and lower crime. The government chases these benefits to the tune of $320B every year.

The results aren't pretty. Infrastructure construction companies deliver 75% of projects late. 50% turn down work due to labor shortages. And ancient, inadequate software prevents them from getting faster or more efficient.

About CloudRig

That's where CloudRig comes in. We're a venture-backed software company building a modern construction management platform to help infrastructure construction companies win more jobs and deliver them on time and under budget.

We embrace a culture of initiative, service, and humility. We're taking on a big problem with the potential for big impact. We challenge ourselves every day to make the lives of those in infrastructure construction exponentially better.

We are looking for a Founding Engineer to join the team as we build out a product that will help to shape the physical future for America in the 21st century.

The Opportunity

  • Work directly with customers to define the product for our MVP and beyond
  • Make foundational architectural decisions that will help our system scale and rapidly adapt to customer needs
  • Own product features that delight the customer end-to-end from defining the scope all the way through development
  • Influence the culture of the company and guide the processes and tooling of the engineering team
  • Work directly every day with the CTO and the founding team

The Intangibles

  • We believe that in order to be successful as a Founding Engineer at CloudRig, you:
  • Take initiative and crave ownership
  • Take pleasure in driving outcomes and seeing your projects succeed
  • Have the ability to make thoughtful decisions quickly especially in ambiguous situations
  • Have strong opinions that are loosely held
  • Are curious and a self-learner
  • Embrace the creative problem-solving that comes with working on small teams and the ultimate responsibility that comes with driving outcomes on your own

Your Experience

  • We think having the right experience is necessary for success. That may include:
  • 5+ years of experience as a full-stack developer ideally working at a B2B software company
  • You have led large projects from ideation through development, launch, and support, influencing both product and architectural decisions
  • You are proficient in implementing projects across the stack (ideally in React for the frontend and Node for the backend)
  • You have worked in a small, agile team environment and delivered software products rapidly

Apply