ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Founding Engineer Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

Worky

Founding Engineer

Durham, NC · On-site

$170 - $250/hr

About the Role This is a founding engineering position at an early-stage healthtech startup building AI-powered patient recruitment infrastructure for clinical trials. You'll work directly on the ...

New

Sproutai

Founding CEO -- Coram

Durham, NC · On-site

Full studio team support -- across product, engineering, design, and operations * Access to aligned capital -- investors who value both returns and impact * The combined Sprout & Praxis networks ...

Sproutai

Founding CEO -- Coram (Durham)

Durham, NC · On-site

Full studio team support -- across product, engineering, design, and operations * Access to aligned capital -- investors who value both returns and impact * The combined Sprout & Praxis networks ...

Televic

Software Development Engineer

Morrisville, NC · On-site

This role will be part of the founding North American R&D team and will work closely with global engineering teams across Europe and other regions to design, develop, test, and maintain software ...

Marmon

Sr. Mechanical/Electrical Engineer

Holly Springs, NC · On-site

$93K - $121K/yr

Since its founding,Trensorhas grown into a trusted supplier to global automakers, Tier 1 suppliers ... This role combines hands-on engineering, technical leadership, supplier collaboration, and new ...

Millennium Print Group

Quality Engineer

Durham, NC · On-site

$69K - $89K/yr

Since our founding in 2014, our dedicated team has built a world-class operation known for ... Quality Engineer Join Millennium Print Group as a Quality Engineer! We're looking for a Quality ...

LangChain, Inc

Deployed Engineer (Raleigh)

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

... founding/product engineering), ideally in a startup or scale-up * Strong Python, JavaScript and systems fundamentals * Have designed agent-based or LLM-powered applications beyond simple API calls ...

Donley's

Project Engineer (NC)

Apex, NC

$66K - $85K/yr

Due to our continued growth, Donley's is seeking a Project Engineer to assist with projects located ... our founding in 1941. In 2023, Donley's transitioned to an Employee-Owned structure, making ...

Baxter

Principal System Engineer

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$104K - $143K/yr

It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining ... As a Principal Engineer at Baxter, your contributions directly impact making a significant ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsFounding Engineer JobsFounding Engineer Jobs in Raleigh, NC

Founding Engineer information

See Raleigh, NC salary details

$29.2K

$67.4K

$114.7K

How much do founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding engineer in Raleigh, NC is $67,422.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $50,100.00 and $76,300.00 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 popular job titles related to Founding Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC?

For Founding Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Founding Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC look for?

The top searched job categories for Founding Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC are:

Founding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Engineer job openings in Raleigh, NC as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 5% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $67,425 per year, or $32.4 per hour.

Founding Engineer

Worky

Durham, NC • On-site

$170 - $250/hr

Other

Medical, Life

Posted 2 days ago

New

Job description

About the Role

This is a founding engineering position at an early-stage healthtech startup building AI-powered patient recruitment infrastructure for clinical trials. You'll work directly on the core platform — scaling AI agents, integrations, and multi-channel outreach — and have an outsized impact on product direction and architecture from day one.

What You'll Do

  • Orchestrate a fleet of AI agents coordinating patient recruitment across hundreds of clinical trials in North America.

  • Build and maintain integrations into customer systems, including custom integrations for specific software versions or configurations.

  • Scale LLMs across voice, SMS, and email channels while keeping conversations consistent and personalized.

  • Tune AI agent conversations and build workflows for domain-specific logic (e.g., eligibility calculations, screening questionnaires).

  • Develop call center management tooling and scheduling algorithms for recruiters and clinical research coordinators.

  • Reverse-engineer legacy healthcare systems lacking public APIs to integrate with existing trial site tool stacks.

What We're Looking For

  • 5+ years of experience in full-stack or AI/ML engineering, with at least 3 years shipping user-facing products in production.

  • Strong CS fundamentals from a rigorous academic background; demonstrated academic achievement (e.g., TA experience, high GPA, notable side projects, or internships at well-regarded companies).

  • Proficiency in Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript; comfort working across frontend and backend layers.

  • Experience at a high-growth, top-tier startup or a large-scale engineering organization is strongly valued.

  • Hands-on experience building applied LLM or agentic AI products.

  • Ability to make architectural decisions, design systems, and operate as a technical thought partner.

  • Comfortable with ambiguity and self-directed work in an early-stage environment.

  • Healthcare or life sciences domain knowledge is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary: $170,000 – $250,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is available.

Location

On-site in Durham, NC, United States.

#J-18808-Ljbffr

Apply