Founding Engineer
$120k - $200kClera
Job Description
Job Description
About the Role
This is a founding engineer role at an early-stage hardware-meets-software startup building AI-assisted PCB design tooling and EDA automation for the full electronics development lifecycle. You will own core product from day one, working directly with the founding team to shape both technical direction and product strategy. The work sits at a rare intersection of software craft and hands-on electronics, and what you build will directly determine how fast hardware teams can move from idea to production.
What You'll DoBuild and ship AI-assisted PCB design tools and EDA automation features to real users.
Integrate manufacturing pipelines and own the end-to-end hardware-to-production workflow.
Take full ownership of full-stack problems, spanning backend systems and user-facing tooling.
Collaborate with the founding team to define product direction and technical strategy.
Ship quickly, iterate on user feedback, and clear whatever engineering blockers arise.
3+ years shipping software products, with at least one physical or hardware product shipped end-to-end to real 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 that shows genuine craft obsession.
Comfort with ambiguity and the context-switching that comes with an early-stage startup environment.
Experience as a founder or in a startup environment is a plus.
Familiarity with EDA tools, manufacturing pipelines, or hardware supply chain integration is a plus.
Experience integrating AI or machine learning into tooling or design automation is a plus.
Salary range: $120,000 to $200,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
LocationOn-site in San Francisco, California, United States.
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