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Founding Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Bronco

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

About the role As a founding software engineer at Bronco AI, you will be building world-class intelligent reasoning systems for chip verification. You'll own the product from pushing the frontier of ...

YRIKKA

Founding Software Engineer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$120K - $180K/yr

Founding Full-Stack Engineer We are looking for a founding full-stack engineer to join our ... As a full-stack software engineer, you will have the opportunity to shape the infrastructure that ...

Elicit

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

Founding Senior Software Engineer (SF In-Person Preferred) Posted We are hot Tech Startup building the AI-native intelligence layer for physical operations, starting with trucking carriers. We are a ...

Navi AI

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

About the role This is a founding engineering role. You'll own entire systems end to end - the ... About you * 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a track record of ...

Onton

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$175K - $240K/yr

Join Onton as a Founding Engineer and set the foundation for our Engineering Team * Design, scope ... If you're a builder at heart who shares our values and is passionate about making software tools ...

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 ...

Onton

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA

Join Onton as a Founding Engineer and set the foundation for our Engineering Team * Design, scope ... If you're a builder at heart who shares our values and is passionate about making software tools ...

Clera

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

About the Role We're building an AI motion design platform and this is our founding engineering hire. You'll work closely with the founders to shape the technical foundation, own end-to-end ...

Onton

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Join Onton as a Founding Engineer and set the foundation for our Engineering Team * Design, scope ... If you're a builder at heart who shares our values and is passionate about making software tools ...

Clera

Founding Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

About the Role We're building an AI motion design platform and this is our founding engineering hire. You'll work closely with the founders to shape the technical foundation, own end-to-end ...

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 ...

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Showing results 1-20

All 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 Jun 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 are Founding Software Engineers?

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 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.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Founding Software Engineer, and why are they important?

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.
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 June 2026, with employment types broken down into 13% Internship, and 87% Full Time. Highlights an 74% In-person, 13% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,524 per year, or $70.9 per hour.

Founding Software Engineer

Goliath Partners

San Francisco, CA • Hybrid

$150K - $300K/yr

Full-time

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

Job description

This range is provided by Goliath Partners. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$150,000.00/yr - $300,000.00/yr

Direct message the job poster from Goliath Partners

Fast-Growing AI Startup | Well-Funded | Future Leaders Wanted

About the Role:

We are seeking a Founding AI Engineer to join our early-stage, high-growth AI startup. This pivotal role will place you at the forefront of shaping and scaling our AI/ML systems, helping us deliver cutting-edge solutions. As a founding engineer, you will have the opportunity to directly influence the product, architecture, and vision of the company, while leading a team of innovators.

Responsibilities:

  • Design, develop, and optimize large-scale AI/ML models, particularly around large language models (LLMs) and advanced machine learning algorithms.
  • Collaborate with product and engineering teams to implement state-of-the-art AI technologies.
  • Own projects end-to-end, from ideation and research through to prototyping and deployment.

Qualifications:

  • Expertise in AI/ML, with significant experience in building LLMs and other machine learning models.
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, etc.).
  • A proven track record in fast-paced, high-growth startup environments.
  • Leadership potential – eager to take on responsibilities and grow with the company.
Seniority level
  • Seniority levelMid-Senior level
Employment type
  • Employment typeFull-time
Job function
  • IndustriesTechnology, Information and Media

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