Founding Engineer

Department: Engineering

Location: San Francisco

Employment Type: FullTime

About the Role

This is a founding engineering role at an early-stage hardware-software startup building AI-assisted PCB design tooling and EDA automation from the ground up. You will own the core platform, from design tools to manufacturing pipeline integrations, working directly with the founding team to shape both product and technical direction. The work sits at the intersection of software craft and hands-on electronics, and it matters because it directly determines what ships to users.

What You'll Do

• Build AI-assisted PCB design tools and EDA automation features that ship to real users.

• Integrate manufacturing pipelines and manage the full hardware-to-production workflow.

• Own full-stack problems across the platform, from backend systems to user-facing tooling.

• Collaborate closely with the founding team to define product direction and technical strategy.

• Ship fast, iterate on user feedback, and unblock whatever gets in the way.

What We're Looking For

• 3 or more years shipping software products, with at least one physical or hardware product shipped end-to-end to users.

• Hands-on experience with PCB design, schematic review, KiCad, or related electronics hardware work.

• Proficiency in at least one systems or low-level language: C, C++, Rust, or Go.

• Experience building and shipping embedded systems or firmware.

• Strong software engineering fundamentals including algorithms, data structures, and systems design.

• An active portfolio of side projects, open-source contributions, or personal hardware builds.

• Comfort with ambiguity and a startup or founder mindset; happy wearing many hats.

• Familiarity with EDA tools, manufacturing pipelines, or hardware supply chain integration is a plus.

• Experience integrating AI or machine learning into tooling or design automation is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary: $120,000 to $200,000 USD annually. Equity is available as part of the overall package. Visa sponsorship is not available at this time.

Location

This role is on-site in San Francisco, California, United States.