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Internship Founding Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

We're looking for a Founding Engineer Intern to join a small, high-velocity founding team. You'll ... Available to work 7 days a week during the internship * Something outstanding about your profile ...

This is a hands-on internship where you'll contribute real production code, learn how an early ... Work closely with our CTO and founding engineering team to build and extend backend product ...

This is a builder role for someone who wants to operate at the intersection of engineering, product ... internships, campus leadership, technical communities, self-directed projects, or other 01 ...

This is a builder role for someone who wants to operate at the intersection of engineering, product ... internships, campus leadership, technical communities, self-directed projects, or other 0→1 ...

Full-Stack Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $320K/yr

Seed-stage and San Francisco-based, it's well-funded with a small team of full-timers plus interns ... Founding-level ownership: own and lead engineering projects across the product and report directly ...

... internships, startups, or open-source contributions all count • Familiarity with modern AI ... Preferred : • Bonus: early-stage startup experience (Seed-Series B), prior founding experience ...

This is not a typical internship. You will be one of three founding members of K1's internal AI ... Proficiency with Claude (Anthropic) as a daily working tool -- prompt engineering, multi-step ...

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Internship Founding Engineer information

What is the difference between Internship Founding Engineer vs Software Engineering Intern?

AspectInternship Founding EngineerSoftware Engineering Intern
CredentialsTypically students or recent graduates with foundational coding skillsStudents or early-career individuals learning software development
Work EnvironmentStartups or early-stage companies, often in collaborative, fast-paced settingsLarge tech companies, startups, or academic projects
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in startup environments to build core productsCommon in tech companies for training and talent pipeline

The main difference is that an Internship Founding Engineer is often a role in early-stage startups focusing on building foundational technology, while a Software Engineering Intern typically works in larger companies or academic settings to gain experience. The Founding Engineer role may involve more responsibility and influence on product development, whereas the Intern role is more learning-focused.

What are the most commonly searched types of Founding Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Founding Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Internship Founding Engineer jobs in California? For Internship Founding Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Internship Founding Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Internship Founding Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Internship Founding Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Internship Founding Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Internship Founding Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution.

Founding Engineer

David Joseph & Company

San Francisco, CA

$160K - $220K/yr

Full-time

Posted 17 days ago


Job description

San Francisco, CA · On-site · Full-time Compensation: $160,000–$220,000 + ~0.5% equity

About the Company

Our client is building the ad network for AI. The team partners with consumer AI entertainment and character platforms to create immersive, personalized ad formats — playable ads, animated character ads, sponsored experiences, and creative units that feel native to AI companions rather than disruptive to users. The work sits at the intersection of advertising, consumer products, AI-generated media, and mobile entertainment. It's well-backed by a top-tier venture firm and other notable investors, and the team moves fast and ships often.

Industry: AI advertising / consumer AI

The Role

A Founding Engineer who can blend backend, ML, and traditional system design / infrastructure — a high-agency, high-slope builder, not a candidate filtered through a narrow tech-stack requirement.

Tech stack: Tech-stack agnostic; PyTorch fluency is a nice-to-have.

Requirements
  • 0–3 years of engineering
  • Backend + ML + systems
  • A side-project track record
Nice to Haves
  • A strong side-project portfolio that demonstrates building outside day-job scope
  • A recent grad or 0–3 YOE with exceptional signal (top engineering school, notable internships, or notable side projects)
  • A background at a consumer or ad-infrastructure company (e.g., Roblox, Meta, Amazon, or comparable) with side-project signal
Why Join
  • A founding seat: one of the earliest engineering hires at "the ad network for AI," with direct influence over the engineering culture
  • Direct founder access, with cross-functional work alongside the founding team
  • Backing and momentum: well-backed, fast-moving, ships often
  • Perks: meaningful equity, free lunch and dinner (meal stipend), office gym
Details
  • Location — San Francisco, CA
  • Work policy — On-site
  • Compensation — $160,000–$220,000 + ~0.5% equity
  • Visa sponsorship — Not available; US citizens or visa holders only
  • Employment type — Full-time