Founding Engineer

People Hive is supporting a client in San Francisco in the search for a highly skilled Founding Engineer to join the business as its first engineering hire. This is an opportunity to shape the technical direction and engineering culture of a fast-moving, YC-backed startup focused on the future of AI-powered commerce . The successful candidate will have significant ownership across product architecture, full-stack development and the implementation of AI agent technologies . The Founding Engineer will work directly with customers, translate feedback into shipped features, and build robust and scalable infrastructure from the ground up. Critical Requirements 3–7 years of professional software engineering experience Proven experience at a Series A, Series B or fast-moving technology company Demonstrated experience building or working with AI agents and agent-based systems Strong full-stack proficiency with TypeScript, Node.js, Express, React and Next.js Ability to independently ship features across the entire stack High agency, strong sense of ownership and comfort with ambiguity Strong startup mindset with the willingness to wear multiple hats Important Requirements Experience with PostgreSQL, Redis and asynchronous systems Experience with browser automation, scraping and retrieval infrastructure Experience with AI agent orchestration, context management and evaluations Experience with production systems, observability and workflow orchestration Nice to Have Experience with MCP servers and developer tools Background in e-commerce, retail, search, attribution or analytics Degree from a top-50 university Benefits Unlimited PTO Health insurance 401(k) Bay Club gym membership Location: San Francisco, California, USA Working arrangement: On-site Employment: Full-time Salary: $160,000–$200,000 per year People Hive HR Consultancies LLC is acting as the recruitment partner for this vacancy. Applications will be handled confidentially and shared with the client as part of the recruitment process. Job Reference: PH-ANS-105