Clera
Founding Engineer (AI/ML)
- Compensation
- $130K–$170K / yr
- From job posting
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, US
- Arrangement
- On-site
- Employment type
- Full-time
- Posted
- 28 September 2026 (2 days ago)
Checked 2 days agoApplications go to the employer, never to RoleSprint
About this role
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is a founding engineering role at a pre-seed AI recruiting marketplace, where you will own the entire intelligence layer: the recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, and LLM-powered matching that connect candidates with the right roles. It sits at the core of how the product works, and you will build it from the ground up working directly with the founding team.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Own the AI/ML intelligence layer end to end, including recommendation, ranking, and retrieval systems.
- Build and iterate on LLM-powered matching that measurably improves candidate-to-role alignment.
- Take features from problem definition all the way to production, shipping on a daily cadence.
- Architect and maintain the production data pipelines and services that models depend on.
- Partner directly with founders to translate product goals into shipped systems.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- 2 to 5 years of production software engineering experience, with genuine applied ML depth and models shipped to real users.
- Hands-on experience building recommender systems, ranking algorithms, or ML-powered matching in production. This is the most important requirement.
- Strong proficiency in TypeScript or Python; either language on its own is sufficient.
- Production experience working with LLM APIs and building LLM-powered features.
- Hands-on experience with production ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or equivalent.
- Experience building and maintaining production data pipelines and services.
- Strong CS fundamentals and a track record of thriving in fast-paced, unstructured startup environments with rapid iteration cycles.
- A standout technical profile: strong open-source contributions, notable personal projects, or a rigorous CS background.
- Background at a credible VC-backed startup or a well-regarded product company.
- Existing U.S. work authorization or eligibility for available sponsorship routes.
- Nice to have: React, Supabase, Prisma, Typesense, trigger.dev, embeddings, and vector search.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Salary: $130,000 to $170,000 annually, plus competitive founding-hire equity. Visa sponsorship is available for eligible candidates.
LOCATION
On-site in San Francisco, California, 6 days per week. Relocation assistance is available for candidates moving to the Bay Area.
Work location
- San Francisco, CA, US
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About this listing
Published on Ashby under the board identifier Clera, which is the name the employer’s own job board carries. RoleSprint has not verified the company’s registered or trading name, so it is shown exactly as published rather than tidied up.
RoleSprint is not the employer and not a recruiter. Applications are made on the employer’s own site and never reach us; what RoleSprint does is help you decide whether a role is worth your time and prepare for it if it is.
Published 28 September 2026, last checked 2 days ago. A posting stops being advertised here 90 days after the employer published it, and one the employer takes down is marked closed rather than quietly removed.