Founding Software Engineer

The role

Raydar is recruiting for this role on behalf of our client. This generalist engineer will shape software from first concept to release, owning technical design, product input and engineering practices while partnering closely with the CTO. The ideal candidate has already delivered AI and data platforms in production and is comfortable setting direction in an unstructured environment.

What you'll do

• Take AI capabilities from early prototype to finished product, covering both the model side and the user experience.
• Develop autonomous software tools that examine and convert large inherited code repositories at production quality.
• Redesign heavy-traffic data flows and the foundational platform that supports AI workloads.
• Make key system design calls with the CTO and establish the team's first practices for verification, uptime and clean code.
• Work with domain experts and customers to shape solutions for their needs.

What we're looking for

• At least 2 years of software engineering experience, with self-taught or bootcamp backgrounds welcome.
• Hands-on history keeping autonomous AI software running reliably in live environments.
• Deep experience with data-heavy AI platforms and reworking high-volume pipelines.
• Experience at a high-growth startup or a leading technology company, with a clear reason for wanting to join a smaller team.
• Proficiency in Java, Python or Go.
• A bachelor's degree from a top-ranked university, with a computer science or STEM field preferred.

Bonus points

• Exposure to legacy systems, compilers, program analysis or high-performance computing.
• Experience with Rust or assembly language.
• Strong testing discipline, including test-driven and property-based testing.
• Background in competitive informatics or national science competitions.

Compensation and benefits

• Base salary: $150K to $300K per year
• Equity
• Health, dental and vision coverage
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off

Location and work model

• San Francisco, CA, United States
• On-site, five days a week in office
• Full-time