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Founding Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Career Launch

Founding Engineer - Fullstack

Chicago, IL · On-site

$110 - $170/hr

THE ROLE As a Founding Engineer - Fullstack, you may work on projects that require strong execution, communication, analytical judgment, and the ability to move quickly in ambiguous environments.

Clera

Founding Engineer ($3M pre-seed)

Chicago, IL · Remote

We're building the future of recruiting with AI - and we need an exceptional engineer to join our founding team in our San Francisco hackerhouse. We just raised a $3M pre-seed from top-tier investors ...

Clera

Founding Engineer ($3M pre-seed)

Chicago, IL · On-site

We're building the future of recruiting with AI - and we need an exceptional engineer to join our founding team in our San Francisco hackerhouse. We just raised a $3M pre-seed from top-tier investors ...

Raydar

Founding Forward Deployed Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

The role and why it matters This is a founding Forward Deployed Engineer role with direct access to the co-founders and Head of AI. You will build and deploy applied-AI products across multiple ...

Career Launch

Founding Backend Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$90 - $130/hr

THE ROLE As a Founding Backend Engineer, you may work on projects that require strong execution, communication, analytical judgment, and the ability to move quickly in ambiguous environments. This ...

Qumis Inc

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 ...

Cyclotron, Inc.

AI-Native Product Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$120K - $149K/yr

This person should operate less like a ticket-based contractor and more like a founding engineer assigned to a product area. The ideal candidate can understand user needs, define effective workflows ...

Cyclotron, Inc.

AI-Native Product Engineer

Chicago, IL · Remote

This person should operate less like a ticket-based contractor and more like a founding engineer assigned to a product area. The ideal candidate can understand user needs, define effective workflows ...

Denari

Founding Forward Deployed Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$120 - $180/hr

You should be able to think like an engineer--breaking down ambiguity, understanding systems ... As our founding FDE, you'll also help define the function itself: how we scope engagements ...

Coinflow

Frontend Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150 - $180/hr

You'll work directly with the CTO and founding engineers, moving from rough product idea to shipped, polished UI without a handoff in between. What you'll do * Build and own our design system on top ...

Vooma

Account Executive

Chicago, IL · On-site

Mike built self driving trucks as a founding engineer at Kodiak Robotics (raised $250M) where he established and led their motion planning and safety teams. Jesse was previously CEO at a private ...

Vooma

Enterprise Account Executive

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150K - $180K/yr

Mike built self driving trucks as a founding engineer at Kodiak Robotics (raised $250M) where he established and led their motion planning and safety teams. Jesse was previously CEO at a private ...

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Founding Engineer information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$30.9K

$71.5K

$121.7K

How much do founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding engineer in Chicago, IL is $71,509.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $53,100.00 and $80,900.00 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 are the most commonly searched types of Founding Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL?

The most popular types of Founding Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL are:

What are popular job titles related to Founding Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL?

For Founding Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Founding Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Founding Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL are:

Founding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Engineer job openings in Chicago, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 88% In-person, 2% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $71,509 per year, or $34.4 per hour.

Founding Engineer - Fullstack

Chicago, IL • On-site

Career Launch
See more jobs at Career Launchexternal

$110 - $170/hr

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This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

ABOUT CAREER LAUNCH

Career Launch is hiring for this role and related opportunities. We review candidate profiles across active roles and use resumes/profiles to understand which backgrounds may be a fit.


THE ROLE

As a Founding Engineer - Fullstack, you may work on projects that require strong execution, communication, analytical judgment, and the ability to move quickly in ambiguous environments.


This posting is intended for candidates who want to be considered for this role type and closely related opportunities.


WHAT YOU MAY WORK ON

  • Own projects, workflows, research, execution, or stakeholder-facing work related to the role.

  • Turn messy information into clear next steps, concise updates, and practical recommendations.

  • Collaborate across product, operations, growth, strategy, technical, or customer-facing teams depending on the role.

  • Build evidence of your skills through resume/profile context that helps recruiting teams evaluate fit.


WHO THIS IS FOR

This is a strong fit for candidates who are actively exploring new roles and want their resume reviewed for relevant Career Launch opportunities.

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