Founding Engineer (Applied AI)

About the Role Join an early-stage, seed-funded AI startup in the construction tech space that is automating the process of reading construction blueprints and extracting material and cost data. The company is tackling a massive, largely manual industry problem using cutting-edge computer vision and AI — and this hire will be a core part of the technical foundation. If you love hard problems, shipping quickly, and iterating directly with users, this is the role for you. What You'll Do Focus on the intelligence layer — ML models, algorithms, and AI systems — rather than the application layer Apply the latest computer vision, LLM, and AI techniques to real construction documents (blueprints, plans, specs) Ship initial prototypes fast, then iterate based on direct user feedback Help design and coordinate a model-garden architecture for blueprint understanding Work on object detection models and supporting ML pipelines in production What We're Looking For Required: Hands-on applied Computer Vision and ML/Deep Learning experience Strong Python skills Proven 0-to-1 builder — you have shipped AI/ML systems to production Growth mindset: we value trajectory over pedigree Comfortable with ambiguity, early-stage grind, and getting deep into hard problems Communicates with empathy and honesty Nice to Have: Prior founder or startup experience — you've built something people used or paid for Background in construction, architecture, or related trades Impact-driven mindset aligned with making housing and infrastructure more accessible Compensation & Details Salary: $100,000 – $180,000 USD annually Employment: Full-time Visa sponsorship: Not available Location This role is fully on-site in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be SF-based or willing to relocate.