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Senior Founding Engineer Jobs in San Ramon, CA (NOW HIRING)

Mintex Technology

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$201K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer with 8+ years of experience to join our early-stage ... Early or founding engineer experience. Experience at FAANG or other Big Tech companies in addition ...

AngelList

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K/yr

As a Senior Software Engineer on Meridian, you'll own the technical design and delivery of major ... This is a founding engineer role on a zero-to-one product with meaningful distribution, regulatory ...

AngelList

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$200K/yr

As a Senior Software Engineer on Meridian, you'll own the technical design and delivery of major ... This is a founding engineer role on a zero-to-one product with meaningful distribution, regulatory ...

AngelList

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K/yr

As a Senior Software Engineer on Meridian, you'll own the technical design and delivery of major ... This is a founding engineer role on a zero-to-one product with meaningful distribution, regulatory ...

Dealops

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $200K/yr

The Role We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our growing engineering team and help build the next-gen AI-powered platform for revenue optimization. You'll work across the full stack ...

New

Giga AI Inc

Senior Frontend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $280K/yr

... Senior Frontend Engineer with deep prior experience with building functional & visually appealing ... Intro call w/ Founding Engineer (15 min) * Live coding round w/ Founding Engineer (1 hr) * In ...

RainesDev

Founding Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Previous experience as a founder or founding engineer is highly preferred. Hard skills * Strong ... Simplify is looking for incredible senior software engineers willing to do IC. They should be ...

Casa, Inc

Senior iOS Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$164K/yr

About the role We're hiring a founding Senior iOS Engineer to help us design, develop, and ship best-in-class mobile applications that deliver exceptional value to our members. You'll work closely ...

Casa

Senior iOS Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$164K/yr

About the role We're hiring a founding Senior iOS Engineer to help us design, develop, and ship best-in-class mobile applications that deliver exceptional value to our members. You'll work closely ...

Casa, Inc

Senior Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

About the role We're hiring a founding Senior Backend Engineer to help us design, develop, and ship robust backend systems that deliver exceptional value to our members. You'll work closely with our ...

Idler

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

You'll work alongside senior engineers and the founding team, learning how to design systems that are both technically sound and philosophically robust. A big part of our work is thinking critically ...

idler

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

You'll work alongside senior engineers and the founding team, learning how to design systems that are both technically sound and philosophically robust. A big part of our work is thinking critically ...

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All JobsFounding Engineer JobsSenior Founding Engineer JobsSenior Founding Engineer Jobs in San Ramon, CA

Senior Founding Engineer information

See San Ramon, CA salary details

$66.5K

$141.4K

$205.1K

How much do senior founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior founding engineer in San Ramon, CA is $141,430.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $116,800.00 and $160,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

AspectSenior Founding EngineerLead Software Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's or master's in computer science or related field, with extensive experienceSimilar educational background, often with several years of software development experience
Work EnvironmentEarly-stage startups or new company divisions, often wearing multiple hatsEstablished teams within companies, focusing on project leadership and technical guidance
Industry UsageCommon in startups, tech companies, and entrepreneurial venturesWidely used across tech firms, especially in mid to large-sized organizations
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles in startup environments, founding responsibilitiesClarifying leadership roles in software development teams

The main difference is that a Senior Founding Engineer is typically an early team member in a startup, often involved in building the product from the ground up, while a Lead Software Engineer usually operates within established organizations, leading project teams and overseeing technical execution.

What are Senior Founding Engineers?

Senior Founding Engineers are experienced technical professionals who join a startup at its earliest stages, often as part of the founding team. They are responsible for designing and building the initial product architecture, making critical technical decisions, and setting engineering best practices. In addition to hands-on coding, they often help shape the company's culture, contribute to hiring, and may participate in strategic business decisions. Their work significantly impacts the company's trajectory and future growth.

How does a Senior Founding Engineer typically balance hands-on technical work with strategic decision-making in an early-stage startup?

As a Senior Founding Engineer, you’ll often juggle direct coding responsibilities with broader technical leadership tasks, such as setting architectural direction and influencing early product decisions. In a small, agile team, you’ll collaborate closely with other founders, designers, and sometimes initial customers to iterate rapidly on features while ensuring scalability and maintainability. The role demands adaptability—shifting between solving immediate technical problems and long-term planning to support growth. This dual focus is both a challenge and an opportunity for career development, as it provides visibility into all aspects of building a product and company from the ground up.

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

To thrive as a Senior Founding Engineer, you need deep expertise in software engineering, product development, and startup environments, usually demonstrated by a strong technical background and experience launching products from scratch. Familiarity with modern programming languages, cloud platforms, version control (e.g., Git), and agile development tools is essential, and experience with system architecture or DevOps is highly valued. Leadership, adaptability, and excellent problem-solving skills set standout candidates apart, as does the ability to communicate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. These skills are crucial for driving technical innovation, building scalable products, and shaping the culture and success of an early-stage startup.
What are the most commonly searched types of Founding Engineer jobs in San Ramon, CA? The most popular types of Founding Engineer jobs in San Ramon, CA are:
What are popular job titles related to Senior Founding Engineer jobs in San Ramon, CA? For Senior Founding Engineer jobs in San Ramon, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Senior Founding Engineer jobs in San Ramon, CA look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Founding Engineer jobs in San Ramon, CA are:
What cities near San Ramon, CA are hiring for Senior Founding Engineer jobs? Cities near San Ramon, CA with the most Senior Founding Engineer job openings:
Senior Founding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Founding Engineer job openings in San Ramon, CA as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 95% In-person, and 5% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $141,430 per year, or $68 per hour.

Founding Engineer

Mintex Technology

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$201K/yr

Full-time

Posted 2 days ago

Job description

Job Title: Artificial Intelligence Engineer
Location: San Francisco, CA (On-Site)
Employment Type: Full-Time with benfits
Compensation: $201,000 Base Salary + Equity 
 
About the Role:
We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer with 8+ years of experience to join our early-stage team and build the AI-native system of record for CPG procurement.
 
We need a product-minded builder who takes strong ownership, thrives in ambiguity, and is excited to use AI to solve complex customer problems. You will own large swaths of the product end-to-end, from talking through a problem with the PM to shipping it to production.
 
Responsibilities:
Own features from concept through production, including scoping, building, shipping, and iterating based on learnings.
Make architectural decisions with the team that will support the next 18 months of growth.
Work directly with the PM/designer and founder to shape product direction and priorities.
Raise the bar for engineering quality through testing, observability, and code reviews while maintaining development velocity.
Talk to customers regularly to understand the problem space firsthand.
 
Required Qualifications:
5–8 years of full-stack engineering experience with a backend focus.
Experience working at VC-backed, early-stage startups (Seed to Series C).
Experience owning and shipping production code with measurable user impact.
Broad, cross-functional engineering experience with exposure to architecture and product decisions.
Daily use of AI coding tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or Claude.
 
Preferred Qualifications:
Early or founding engineer experience.
Experience at FAANG or other Big Tech companies in addition to startup experience.