Software Developer Engineer

Software Developer Engineer About the Opportunity An early-stage, venture-backed AI startup is seeking a Software Developer Engineer to help build next-generation engineering software that applies AI to accelerate complex design workflows. You'll join a small, high-caliber engineering team where you'll have significant ownership, work directly with technical leadership, and help shape a product from the ground up. This is an opportunity for engineers who enjoy solving difficult technical problems, moving quickly, and building production systems in a true 0→1 startup environment. What You'll Do Design, build, and maintain scalable backend systems using Python. Develop production-ready services that integrate with desktop engineering software on macOS and Windows. Own features from concept through production, including architecture, implementation, testing, and deployment. Build backend services, APIs, and data pipelines that support AI-driven engineering workflows. Collaborate closely with technical leadership to define system architecture and product direction. Make thoughtful engineering tradeoffs between delivery speed, maintainability, and technical debt. Contribute across the stack as needed in a highly collaborative startup environment. What We're Looking For Required Qualifications 3–5+ years of professional software engineering experience. Strong Python development experience building production backend systems. Previous experience at an early-stage startup with significant ownership. Demonstrated experience taking products or features from 0→1 through production. Experience building backend services using frameworks such as Django, Flask, or similar. Experience working with SQL databases. Familiarity with AWS and/or GCP. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent practical experience). Preferred Experience Desktop or native application development for macOS or Windows. Experience with CAD, 3D graphics, simulation, gaming, or other performance-sensitive software. Former startup founder or early engineering hire. Comfortable working across multiple technical domains in a fast-moving environment. Ideal Candidate Successful candidates are naturally curious engineers who enjoy tackling ambiguous technical challenges. They thrive in small teams, take ownership without waiting for direction, communicate well with technical stakeholders, and balance pragmatism with engineering quality. This role is best suited for someone who wants meaningful product ownership rather than a narrowly defined engineering function. Compensation & Benefits Base Salary: $115,000–$175,000 USD Equity: 0.3%–0.7% Relocation assistance may be available. Visa support available for eligible H-1B transfers and TN candidates. Work Arrangement Full-time Onsite, 5 days per week San Francisco Peninsula area Interview Process Introductory conversation Technical interview with engineering leadership Take-home technical exercise Final interview/on-site