Full-Stack Software Engineer - Founding Member

Who is Recruiting from Scratch:

Recruiting from Scratch is a specialized talent firm dedicated to helping companies build exceptional teams. We partner closely with our clients to deeply understand their needs, then connect them with top-tier candidates who are not only highly skilled but also the right fit for the company’s culture and vision. Our mission is simple: place the best people in the right roles to drive long-term success for both clients and candidates.

https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/

Title of Role: Founding Software Engineer (Full-Stack)

Location: New York, NY (Manhattan)

Company Stage of Funding: Pre-seed ($2M raised)

Office Type: Onsite (5 days/week)

Salary: $160,000 - $250,000 + Equity (1-2%)

Company Description

Our client is an early-stage AI startup building infrastructure for how companies get discovered and transact in an AI-first world. As AI platforms increasingly replace traditional search, businesses need new ways to surface their products and services within tools like ChatGPT and other AI systems.

This company is developing an end-to-end platform that enables brands to optimize their presence in AI-driven environments through analytics, content generation, and automation. With strong early traction and a rapidly growing customer base, the team is operating at the forefront of a major shift in how digital discovery works.

Founded by experienced operators and backed by leading early-stage investors, this is a rare opportunity to join as a founding engineer and shape both the product and engineering culture from day one.

What You Will Do

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• Own product features end-to-end, from ideation and system design to frontend and backend implementation
• Build and scale core platform systems, including data ingestion pipelines, AI workflows, and automation infrastructure
• Develop across the full stack (TypeScript, Node.js, Next.js, Postgres) with a backend-leaning focus
• Design and optimize systems for scalability, performance, and reliability
• Integrate with LLM APIs and build agentic workflows that power AI-driven functionality
• Work directly with customers to gather feedback and iterate on product features
• Collaborate closely with founders on product strategy, technical architecture, and engineering direction
  
  

Ideal Candidate Background

• 2-6 years of software engineering experience, ideally in startup environments
• Strong full-stack experience with TypeScript and modern web frameworks

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• Comfortable working across backend (Node.js, databases) and frontend (Next.js or similar)
• Demonstrated experience owning and shipping 0→1 products or features
• Strong product mindset — able to translate ambiguous problems into concrete solutions
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor, Copilot, etc.)
• Comfortable working onsite in New York in a highly collaborative environment
  
  

Preferred

• Experience at early-stage startups or in small, high-ownership teams
• Familiarity with LLM APIs or building AI-powered products
• Strong experience with Postgres and data modeling
• Prior founder or founding engineer experience

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• Evidence of exceptional ability (e.g., competitive achievements, impactful projects, strong academic background)
  
  

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive base salary: $160,000 - $250,000
• Meaningful equity: 1-2% (founding-level ownership)
• Relocation assistance available
• Opportunity to work directly with founders and influence company direction
• High ownership and rapid career growth, with potential to grow into leadership roles
• Work on cutting-edge AI products at the intersection of search, marketing, and automation
  
  

This is an exceptional opportunity for engineers who want to build at the frontier of AI while taking on significant ownership in a fast-moving startup environment.