> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/1239922-founding-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1239922-founding-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Founding Engineer - **Company:** CLERA, LLC - **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States (Remote available) - **Salary:** $150,000.0 - $250,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Information Engineering, Elasticsearch, Interaction Design, Python (Programming Language), Machine Learning, Performance Tuning, Recommender Systems, Software Engineering, TypeScript, Real Time Systems, ReactJS, Large Language Models, Snowflake, Backend, Low Latency, React Native, Front End Software Development, Data Pipelines, Automation Anywhere - **Published:** July 11, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=5b26a1cdf117bb04 ## About the Role * 0-5 years of professional software engineering experience * Proven experience building real-time or low-latency systems * Proficiency in search and ranking algorithms and systems * Experience with data processing pipelines, data engineering, and ML/AI workflows * Experience with infrastructure and performance optimization for production systems * Prior early-stage startup experience; comfort operating in high-ambiguity environments * Ability to own end-to-end features with multidisciplinary collaboration (product, design, engineering) * Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills in fast-paced, ambiguous settings * Must be eligible to work in the United States - no visa sponsorship available * Located in San Francisco or willing to relocate; on-site presence required ## Description We're building an AI-powered map and social discovery platform that helps people figure out where to go and what to do with the people that matter to them. We've assembled one of the largest structured indices of real-world places and events, and we're now building a clever, social product experience around it., * Search & ranking at massive scale (hundreds of millions of places, millions of events) * Recommendations and personalization of places and events * Real-time infrastructure (chat, presence, location) * AI systems that plan, retrieve, and reason over diverse data sources If you're excited by systems that sit at the intersection of infra, product, and AI - this is your kind of place. What You'll Do * Design and ship product features and systems from zero to production * Work directly with founders on product direction and architecture * Make decisions that shape the core system - not just contribute to it * Move fluidly across the stack: frontend, backend, infra, and AI Example problems: * Ranking what someone should do tonight using embeddings, structured data, and social signals * Pushing Elasticsearch + vector search to sub-100ms latency across large datasets * Building real-time systems that feel instantaneous * Designing map display algorithms that decide what deserves visual attention * Building agent pipelines that plan queries and synthesize well-informed answers * Structuring large volumes of unstructured web data to power novel discovery experiences We're open across two tracks - most people here won't fit neatly into just one: * Application (Full-Stack): Fast, expressive interfaces across mobile + web; deep focus on rendering performance and interaction design; ownership from UI to backend. Typical tools: TypeScript, React, React Native / iOS / Android. * Data / AI: Intelligence layer - search, ranking, data pipelines, and agent systems; operating over large-scale, messy real-world data. Typical tools: Python and/or TypeScript, Elasticsearch, Snowflake, LLMs, embeddings, retrieval and recommendation systems. ## Related Videos - [Alibaba Big Data and Machine Learning Technology](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/37-alibaba-big-data-and-machine-learning-technology) - [Designing UX for SRE Agents in High-Stakes Incidents](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100003-designing-ux-for-sre-agents-in-high-stakes-incidents) - [Watch Tests Go Brrrr! : Getting Started with Cypress in ReactJS](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/282-watch-tests-go-brrrr-getting-started-with-cypress-in-reactjs) - [Developing the Backend with Stefan Lingler, CTO at Shpock](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100360-developing-the-backend-with-stefan-lingler-cto-at-shpock) - [Shipping Faster with Less: Render on Cloud Hosting, AI Workloads, and the Future of DevOps](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1894-shipping-faster-with-less-render-on-cloud-hosting-ai-workloads-and-the-future-of-devops) - [PySpark - Combining Machine Learning & Big Data](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/44-pyspark-combining-machine-learning-big-data) ## Related Articles - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [How to Become an AI Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/331-how-to-become-an-ai-engineer) - [Dev Digest 132 - Binging WADFlix?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/473-dev-digest-132-binging-wadflix) - [Dev Digest 121 - AI goes offline](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/456-dev-digest-121-ai-goes-offline)