Demo

Founding Engineer

Huzzle.com
San Francisco, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 5/7/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 11/1/2026
About Huzzle

At Huzzle, we connect exceptional talent with top opportunities at leading companies across the UK, US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Our clients include high-growth startups, venture-backed tech companies, and innovative platforms across SaaS, FinTech, AI, and Web3.

Unlike traditional outsourcing agencies, we place you directly with a client—where you're hired in-house as a core team member, with real ownership and long-term upside.

Location: On-site - San Francisco, USA (Non-negotiable)

About The Company

Our client is an early-stage, venture-backed startup building a category-defining platform designed to transform how businesses operate in a digital-first world. With experienced founders, strong early traction, and ambitious growth plans, the company is now seeking a Founding Engineer / CTO to define and scale its entire technology function from the ground up.

Job Summary

This is a rare opportunity to join at the ground floor as a Founding Engineer / CTO, owning the technical vision, architecture, and execution from MVP to scale. You will operate as both a hands-on builder and strategic leader, working closely with founders and investors to shape the product, engineering culture, and long-term innovation roadmap.

If you're looking for a high-impact remote startup role where you can combine deep technical expertise with executive-level influence, this is it.

Key Responsibilities

  • Define and execute the company's technical vision, architecture, and product roadmap
  • Lead full-stack development from MVP to a scalable, production-ready platform
  • Make critical decisions on tech stack, infrastructure, and system design
  • Build, hire, and mentor a high-performing engineering team
  • Establish engineering best practices, workflows, and performance standards
  • Collaborate with founders on business strategy, fundraising, and product-market fit
  • Ensure system scalability, security, and reliability across all environments
  • Represent the technical function at the executive level with stakeholders and investors

Tech Stack

  • Languages: TypeScript, JavaScript, Python (bonus)
  • Frontend: React, Next.js
  • Backend: Node.js (Express/NestJS), Python (FastAPI/Django)
  • Infrastructure: AWS / GCP, Cloudflare Workers/R2, Docker, CI/CD pipelines
  • Database: PostgreSQL, Redis
  • AI & APIs: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, Bedrock, OpenRouter
  • Dev Tools: Git, Linear, Cursor, Augment

Requirements

  • 6-10 years of software engineering experience, including leadership roles
  • Proven experience building and scaling products in startup environments
  • Strong full-stack expertise with the ability to remain hands-on
  • Experience leading engineering teams and defining technical direction
  • Deep understanding of system architecture, scalability, and cloud infrastructure
  • Strong business acumen with the ability to align tech with company goals
  • Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • Prior experience as a Founding Engineer, Head of Engineering, or CTO is highly preferred

Benefits

💰 Competitive salary (based on experience)

📈 Significant equity stake with early-stage upside

🏢 Work onsite in San Francisco alongside founders and leadership team

🚀 True ownership over product, engineering, and long-term technology vision

🧠 Collaborate with experienced founders and top-tier investors

🎯 Opportunity to build and lead a world-class engineering organization

Salary.com Estimation for Founding Engineer in San Francisco, CA
$127,195 to $159,560
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