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Founding Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Harvey

Law Schools Founding CSM

Chicago, IL · On-site

$160K - $185K/yr

Partner with Legal Engineers and Law School Managers to translate school feedback into program ... You are a founding CSM for this team and will have a strong part in growing it. * Strong trainer ...

RBN Chicago

Lead Software Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

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 ...

RBN

Lead Software Engineer

Chicago, IL

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 ...

HBK Engineering, LLC

Design Engineer

Chicago, IL

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 ...

HBK Engineering, LLC

Design Engineer

Oak Brook, IL · On-site

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 ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsFounding Engineer JobsFounding Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

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 14, 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 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?

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 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 89% Full Time, 5% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $71,509 per year, or $34.4 per hour.

Founding Business Development Rep (AI Cloud US/CA)

Featherless AI

Chicago, IL • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Re-posted 6 days ago

Job description

About Featherless
Featherless.ai is building the world's most reliable open-model inference platform - a serverless foundation for deploying and scaling AI without infrastructure overhead.
Backed by AMD, Airbus Ventures, 500 Global, Kickstart Ventures, HF0 Residency, Panache Ventures, and Oakseed Ventures, we're a well-funded team of researchers and engineers on a mission to democratize AI through performance and accessibility.
Our cloud provides instant access to 40,000+ open-source AI models and the research innovations powering next-generation efficiency, reliability, and model optimization.
About the Role
We're looking for a founding member of the US/CA GTM team - someone both technical and entrepreneurial that thrives at the intersection of AI, communication, and execution.
This is not a traditional sales role. You're expected to be fluent in AI and be able to hold your own in conversations with model creators, AI startups, enterprises, and developers exploring open-model deployment.
If you're a charismatic developer looking to expand into sales or a young entrepreneur that's developed technical skills we want to speak to you.
What You'll Own Immediately
  • Build & qualify pipeline across enterprises and AI startups
  • Manage inbound requests through chat and email
  • Manage outreach sequences and automations (HubSpot, Clay, Reply.io, n8n)
  • Re-engage existing sign-ups and subscribers; identify high-value users
  • Track CRM, pipeline metrics, and weekly reporting
  • Attend events to generate pipeline and establish key relationships
What You Bring
  • Combined 1-2 years experience in Sales, Developer Relations, or Entrepreneurship
  • Comfortable engaging technical audiences (developers, founders, researchers)
  • AI power user
  • Excellent written and verbal communication in english - concise, credible, human
  • Entrepreneurial and self-driven - you operate independently and get things done

Why Featherless
  • Work directly with exec on high-impact partnerships and GTM strategy
  • Build your network across one of the fastest-growing open AI ecosystems
  • Be part of a small, high-performing team making open weight AI accessible to everyone

Apply