ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Founding Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Farsyt

Founding Software Engineer

Cambridge, MA · On-site

Role Description You'll work closely with the founders and early engineers to build core product ... The Team You'd be joining the founding technical team, with direct input into what gets built and ...

Unsiloed AI

Founding Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $300K/yr

We are hiring a Founding Software Engineer in San Francisco. We are building a small, talent-dense team. This role will define the engineering archetype at Unsiloed AI and set the ceiling for the ...

Farsyt

Founding Software Engineer

Cambridge, MA · On-site

... the founding team. Responsibilities : • Build and ship backend systems (APIs, services, data ... engineering fundamentals (debugging, data modeling, system design) • Good product instincts ...

Gitwit

Yask Founding Software Engineer

Bentonville, AR · On-site

$170K - $195K/yr

Yask Founding Software Engineer Department: Yask Employment Type: Full Time Location: Bentonville, AR Compensation: $170,000 - $195,000 / year Description Build the Adaptive Intelligence Behind ...

Rockstar

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

They are hiring a full-stack software engineer to help shape the future of healthcare. This engineer will be on the front lines of the most ambitious product bets-owning development of core features ...

Rockstar

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · Remote

$150K - $250K/yr

They are hiring a full-stack software engineer to help shape the future of healthcare. This engineer will be on the front lines of the most ambitious product bets-owning development of core features ...

Govwell

Founding Software Engineer, Platform

New York, NY · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

GovWell is hiring a Founding Software Engineer, Platform to build and operate the systems that make that reliability possible: deployment, observability, incident response, and security, all built ...

Gitwit

Yask Founding Software Engineer

Bentonville, AR · On-site

What You'll Actually Need to Do This is a founding, hands-on software engineering role. In practice, that means you'll: * Build and enhance our existing React web application and React Native mobile ...

Gitwit

Yask Founding Software Engineer

Bentonville, AR · On-site

What You'll Actually Need to Do This is a founding, hands-on software engineering role. In practice, that means you'll: * Build and enhance our existing React web application and React Native mobile ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsTechnology JobsSoftware JobsSoftware Developer JobsFounding Software Engineer Jobs

Founding Software Engineer information

See salary details

$63.5K

$147.5K

$205.5K

How much do founding software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding software engineer in the United States is $147,524.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a founding software engineer?

Founding Software Engineers are among the first technical hires at a startup or newly formed company. They play a critical role in building the initial product, setting up the technical foundation, and often shaping the company's engineering culture and processes. In addition to coding, they may also be involved in architecture decisions, hiring, and even strategic business discussions. This role typically requires broad technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to work in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a founding software engineer?

To thrive as a Founding Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software architecture, full-stack development, and problem-solving, often demonstrated by a strong technical background and relevant degrees. Familiarity with cloud platforms, version control systems (like Git), and modern programming languages or frameworks is essential, along with startup exposure or experience. Initiative, adaptability, and outstanding communication are crucial soft skills for shaping the product vision and collaborating in a small, fast-moving team. These capabilities are vital for efficiently building robust products from scratch and driving early-stage company growth.

What are some unique challenges faced by founding software engineers in an early-stage startup environment?

Founding Software Engineers in early-stage startups often navigate rapidly shifting priorities and must wear multiple hats, from architecting core systems to handling on-call troubleshooting. The role typically requires balancing the need for quick feature delivery with building scalable, maintainable code. Close collaboration with co-founders and other early team members is essential, as decisions made at this stage have a lasting impact on the product and company culture. Adaptability, strong communication, and ownership are key, as resource constraints and ambiguity are common.

What is the difference between Founding Software Engineer vs Software Engineer?

AspectFounding Software EngineerSoftware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; startup experience often preferredBachelor's degree in CS or related field; entry to mid-level experience
Work EnvironmentEarly-stage startup, high responsibility, flexible rolesEstablished companies or startups, structured teams, defined roles
Employer & Industry UsageFounding teams of startups, tech companiesTech firms, corporations, startups
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding startup roles, early-stage responsibilitiesStandard software development roles, career progression

The main difference is that a Founding Software Engineer is an early team member in a startup, often taking on broader responsibilities and helping shape the company's technical foundation. A Software Engineer typically works within established teams on specific projects, with more defined roles and responsibilities.

How much do founding software engineers make?

Founding software engineers often receive higher compensation than standard engineers, including equity or stock options, as they help establish the company's technology. Salaries typically range from $100,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on the company's size, funding stage, and location, with early-stage startups sometimes offering lower salaries but greater equity potential.

What does a founding software engineer do?

A founding software engineer is a key early team member responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the core software products of a startup or new project. They often work closely with founders to establish technical architecture, write code, and set development standards, typically using programming languages like Python, Java, or JavaScript. This role requires strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
More about Founding Software Engineer jobs

What cities are hiring for Founding Software Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Founding Software Engineer job openings:

What states have the most Founding Software Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Founding Software Engineer jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Founding Software Engineer jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Founding Software Engineer jobs are:

Founding Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 87% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,524 per year, or $70.9 per hour.

Founding Software Engineer

Strategic Employment

San Francisco, CA

$160K - $210K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Re-posted 26 days ago

Job description

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Pediatric therapists are drowning in insurance credentialing, billing, and documentation — most spend nearly half their time on admin, not patients. We're building an AI-native platform to fix that, and 80+ practices are already running on it.

THE ROLE

This is a true founding-engineer seat. You'll work directly with therapists, ship real features that land in production, and own problems end-to-end — from the first line of code through the customer conversation that follows. You'll help shape the stack, the product roadmap, and the engineering culture from the ground up.

The platform automates insurance credentialing, billing, and clinical documentation, and uses agents to handle scheduling and patient-provider coordination. There are already 80+ therapists actively using the product — meaning your work will hit real workflows on day one.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Ship production features across the full stack — not a narrow slice
  • Build and maintain AI agents that run real clinical workflows end-to-end
  • Talk directly to therapists and translate their pain into product decisions
  • Help define the engineering culture, hiring bar, and technical direction
  • Evolve the stack as the product and team grow

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're open to two profiles:

Experienced founding engineer (3-8+ years): Full-stack or backend-leaning, with a history of owning products — not just contributing to one layer of them.

Exceptional junior engineer (1-3 years): From a strong CS program or early career, with visible AI agent projects (GitHub, writeups, demos) that show you've built systems that actually run in production — not just tutorials.Across both profiles, we're looking for:

  • Engineers who have built real products end-to-end — not just contributed to a slice
  • Hands-on AI agent experience: You've built agents that handle ambiguity and run in production loops — not just wrappers around an LLM API. If your only AI experience is using Copilot, this probably isn't the right fit yet.
  • Strong CS fundamentals: data structures, system design, live coding
  • High ownership mindset — energized by undefined problems, not slowed down by them

THE STACK

TypeScript, React, LangChain. The founding engineer will help decide where it goes from here. If you're strong in another language or framework, that's fine — fluency in JavaScript is not a requirement.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

  • Base salary: $160,000 - $210,000
  • Equity: 1.5% - 2.0%
  • Health, dental, and vision
  • 401(k)
  • Daily lunch and gym membership
  • Relocation support for candidates outside SF
Strategic Employment Partners logo

About Strategic Employment Partners

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Strategic Employment Partners (SEP) was founded in 2007, serving companies in the Greater Los Angeles area by providing Technology Recruiting and Placement Services. With the combined experience of our seasoned professionals, SEP quickly began to build strong partnerships and provide curated talent for some of the largest and fastest growing companies in Los Angeles. Since then, SEP has expanded its operations and currently has eight divisions nationwide.

Industry

Recruiting and staffing services

Company size

51 - 200 Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles, CA, US

Year founded

2006

Social media

FacebookTwitter

View All Strategic Employment Partners Jobs

Apply