Founding Engineer
About the Role
This is a founding engineering role at an early-stage hardware-meets-software startup building AI-assisted PCB design tooling and EDA automation infrastructure from the ground up. You will own the full technical surface, from design tools and backend systems to manufacturing pipeline integrations, and work directly with the founding team to shape product direction. It is a software-first role with deep hardware roots, sitting at the intersection of electronics engineering and modern developer tooling.
What You'll Do
Build and ship AI-assisted PCB design tools and EDA automation features to real users.
Integrate manufacturing pipelines and manage the end-to-end 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 technical strategy and product direction.
Ship fast, iterate on user feedback, and unblock whatever the business needs.
What We're Looking For
3 or more years shipping software products, including at least one physical or hardware product delivered to end users.
Hands-on experience with PCB design, schematic review, KiCad, or electronics hardware work.
Proficiency in at least one systems or low-level language: C, C++, Rust, or Go.
Strong software engineering fundamentals across algorithms, data structures, and systems design.
Experience building and shipping embedded systems or firmware.
An active portfolio of side projects, open-source contributions, or personal hardware builds.
Startup or founder experience, with comfort navigating ambiguity and wearing many hats.
Bonus: experience with EDA tools, manufacturing pipelines, hardware supply chain integration, or AI/ML in design automation.
Compensation & Benefits
Base salary: $120,000 to $200,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
Location
On-site in San Francisco, California, United States.