Founding Software Engineer (Palo Alto)

Protege AI • Palo Alto, CA

10h • $200,000 - $240,000 • Onsite

About The Position

We're seeking an experienced Founding Engineer to drive our full-stack and ML development efforts and champion innovative, scalable solutions. This is a hands-on leadership role for an individual with a strong background in Bun (TypeScript), and machine learning, who can bridge backend development, ML systems, and exceptional data engineering. In addition to coding expertise, you'll lead design discussions, mentor a high-performing team, and shape our technical strategy as we scale our enterprise-grade products to support triple-digit growth.

Requirements

• 4+ years of professional software development experience, including leadership or tech lead roles
• Deep expertise in full stack development with strong proficiency in Bun (TypeScript) and React.js
• Expertise in developing RAG pipelines for citations and similar use cases
• Experience integrating ML solutions into production environments (Northflank, Postgres, AI SDK, or similar)
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with a passion for mentoring and leading technical teams
• Entrepreneurial mindset with an interest in startups and innovation

Nice To Haves

• Experience in creating and optimizing OpenAI prompts for AI-powered applications.
• Proven track record of fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) for industry-specific applications.
• Prior experience with VC-backed startups or contributing to zero-to-one projects in large tech companies.

Responsibilities

• Guide our technical vision with systems design, architecture reviews, and strategic planning while mentoring and leading a team of talented, ambitious builders.
• Architect, develop, and maintain server-side features using Node.js (TypeScript) and deliver scalable, user-friendly interfaces in React.js.
• Oversee on-call rotations, troubleshoot issues promptly, and implement robust debugging strategies to ensure continuous service.
• Translate product requirements into scalable technical designs, collaborating closely with product managers, designers, and stakeholders.
• Explore industry trends such as LLM fine tuning, OpenAI prompt engineering, and serverless deployments on platforms like Railway or Vercel to drive our competitive edge.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed