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Founding Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Simple AI Lab Company

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$130K - $280K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

We are growing revenue like crazy and looking to hire a couple founding software engineers to help us stay afloat of current customer demand and also build out systems for the future. We are very ...

NOSO LABS(YC S25)

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

NOSO LABS is a startup seeking a Founding Software Engineer to join their team and shape their product and technology stack. The role involves building full-stack features, integrating AI/ML ...

HMBL

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

We're seeking a Founding Software Engineer for an early staged AI & LLM startup based in San Francisco. About the Role * Hands on experience developing technology using Python * A builder of business ...

HMBL

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA

We're seeking a Founding Software Engineer for an early staged AI & LLM startup based in San Francisco. About the Role * Hands on experience developing technology using Python * A builder of business ...

HMBL

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA

We're seeking a Founding Software Engineer for an early staged AI & LLM startup based in San Francisco. About the Role * Hands on experience developing technology using Python * A builder of business ...

Tamarind Bio

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Tamarind Bio is seeking exceptional Founding Software Engineers to scale their computational biology platform that powers drug discovery. In this role, you will design, build, and scale ...

Gradient Robotics

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

About the role We're looking for a Founding Software Engineer to own how Gradient Robotics moves data from AI models to actuators. You'll work close to the hardware, from kernel and firmware up ...

Zania, Inc

Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$100K - $200K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • PTO

Founding Software Engineer (Mid-Senior Level) Why Zania Every enterprise spends millions of dollars on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). It's one of the most critical, yet universally painful ...

Hera

Founding Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

Our product challenge We believe the best software is invisible. We serve people most technology ... Join our Founding Team to impact real lives We are looking for ambitious and relentless engineers ...

Hyperscale

Founding Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

The Founding Senior Software Engineer will help build the core product infrastructure for Hyperscale's agentic AI platform, working on cutting-edge applied AI challenges and owning significant parts ...

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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.
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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 Backend Engineer

David Joseph & Company

San Francisco, CA

$150K - $300K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 23 days ago

Job description

San Francisco, CA · On-site · Full-time Compensation: $150,000–$300,000 + 0.1%–1% equity

About the Company

Our client converts complex documents into LLM-ready data. Production-grade APIs ingest, parse, structure, and split documents across formats like PDF, PPT, and Excel into clean Markdown and JSON that AI agents and LLMs can reliably work with from day one — preserving document structure and hierarchy while capturing the domain-specific context critical for high-stakes workflows across finance, legal, and healthcare.

Founded 2024 · 1–10 people (Seed) · Industry: AI Tools

The Role

A Founding Software Engineer based in San Francisco, building toward a small, talent-dense team. The role is backend- and infrastructure-heavy: own production systems end to end and turn research prototypes into production-grade, scalable systems alongside the founders and research team.

Tech stack: Python (required); C++/Rust (plus); distributed systems (microservices, queues, Redis); cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure); Docker, Kubernetes, Helm; Terraform / Pulumi.

Requirements
  • 2–5 years of experience
  • Able to work in person at the San Francisco office
  • Hands-on experience building backend infrastructure
Nice to Haves
  • A top-tier school background (e.g., IIT Bombay, Stanford)
  • Very early-stage startup experience (first 1–3 engineers)
  • Experience at companies with strong technical DNA
  • Research experience
Why Join
  • A founding technical seat: this role defines the engineering archetype and sets the technical ceiling for the team
  • End-to-end ownership: own the full stack from core backend architecture and infrastructure through deployment, reliability, and developer experience
  • Real enterprise traction: already deploying production AI for enterprise customers across high-stakes verticals
Details
  • Location — San Francisco, CA
  • Work policy — On-site
  • Compensation — $150,000–$300,000 + 0.1%–1% equity
  • Visa sponsorship — Available (H-1B, O-1, OPT)
  • Employment type — Full-time