Forward Deployed Engineer
TLDR
Own the agent platform, integrations runtime, and self-healing infrastructure while setting patterns for the entire codebase.
About the Role
This is a founding engineer opportunity at an early-stage AI infrastructure startup building an agentic integration platform. You will own core systems end-to-end alongside the founders, shaping the engineering foundation that every future hire builds on. The work is high-stakes and high-autonomy: real agents doing real work with real consequences in production.
What You'll Do
Own the agent platform, infrastructure, and integrations runtime end-to-end.
Set the engineering patterns and architectural decisions that define the entire codebase going forward.
Ship to production constantly, working directly with the founding team.
Help shape the system holistically across agent orchestration, durable execution, and self-healing infrastructure in your first year.
What We're Looking For
2 to 9 years of professional software engineering experience, excluding staff, principal, lead, or manager titles at large companies.
Strong CS fundamentals from a rigorous technical degree program (Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD, completed or in progress).
Experience founding a startup or engineering at an early-stage (pre-seed through Series A) venture-backed company; candidates whose entire career has been at large tech, enterprise, consulting, or agency environments are not a fit.
Proven track record of shipping and owning real production systems end-to-end, multiple times.
Comfortable working across the full stack with TypeScript, React, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, and AWS.
Familiarity with the Effect-TS or Bun ecosystem is a plus.
At ease using AI coding agents while exercising strong judgment over production quality.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area or US-based with a concrete, dated plan to relocate to San Francisco for five-days-a-week on-site work.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $150,000 to $250,000 USD annually.
Visa sponsorship is available where an O-1 visa is a realistic path.
Location
On-site, five days a week in San Francisco, CA, United States.
Benefits
Visa Sponsorship
Visa sponsorship is available where an O-1 visa is a realistic path.
Clera harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to match high-growth startups with exceptional talent, streamlining the entire headhunting process. This innovative approach simplifies the job search for candidates while providing startups with access to a curated pool of skilled professionals who align with their needs.
- Founded
- Founded 2024
- Industry
- Internet Software & Services