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Posted August 22, 2026

Founding Engineer (AI/ML)

Clera
San Francisco, CA, US Full Time

Job Description

Job Description
About the Role

This is a foundational engineering role at an early-stage AI-powered recruiting marketplace, where you'll own the intelligence layer that connects top talent with the right opportunities. You'll build and ship recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, and LLM-powered matching features that directly shape the core product experience for both candidates and employers.

What You'll Do
  • Build and own AI/ML systems including recommendation engines and ranking algorithms.

  • Develop LLM-powered matching features to improve candidate-role alignment in production.

  • Architect and maintain production-grade data pipelines and backend services integrated with the full stack.

  • Collaborate cross-functionally to translate product goals into shipped, production-ready features.

  • Deliver end-to-end features with full ownership on a rapid, daily shipping cadence.

What We're Looking For
  • 3+ years of professional software engineering experience shipping end-to-end product features in production environments.

  • Proven experience building LLM-powered features using LLM APIs in production.

  • Hands-on experience with recommendation systems, ranking algorithms, or ML-powered matching systems.

  • Strong proficiency in TypeScript and React in production applications.

  • Experience with Supabase, Prisma, and production database design.

  • Proficiency with Typesense or similar search and ranking infrastructure.

  • Experience with workflow automation tools such as trigger.dev in production settings.

  • Comfortable using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor) and similar modern tooling.

  • Background building in fast-paced startup environments with rapid iteration cycles.

  • Demonstrated exceptional technical achievement — strong open-source contributions, notable personal projects, or outstanding academic record.

  • Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort working in scrappy, high-ownership environments.

Compensation & Benefits
  • Salary: $130,000 – $170,000 USD annually

  • Visa sponsorship: Available

Location

Hybrid — based in San Francisco, CA, United States.

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