Backend-Leaning Product Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE We're a small, high-ownership product team building real-world AI and automation products. As a Backend-Leaning Product Engineer, you'll own customer-facing features end-to-end — from design through shipping and iteration. This is a foundational role where you'll make real product and engineering trade-offs, navigate messy integrations, and move fast with strong judgment. You'll work closely with founders and customers in a hybrid San Francisco environment. This role is a great fit if you thrive in ambiguity, love shipping things that matter, and want outsized ownership at an early-stage startup. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own features end-to-end from initial design through launch and iteration. - Make product and engineering decisions independently, without heavy PM support. - Build and maintain backend systems, APIs, data models, and automation pipelines. - Integrate with external tools, legacy systems, and messy third-party services. - Design workflows and orchestration layers for AI/automation-driven products. - Debug production issues and apply strong engineering judgment under pressure. - Balance full-stack work when required, with a clear emphasis on backend ownership. - Collaborate closely with founders, customers, and cross-functional stakeholders. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Required: - Backend-focused software engineering experience — you can design, implement, and ship customer-facing backend features independently. - Proven track record of owning the full lifecycle of customer-facing features: ideation, implementation, and iteration based on feedback. - Experience in early-stage startup or high-ambiguity environments (founding engineer, early engineer, or equivalent). - Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills. - Must be legally eligible to work in the US without employer visa sponsorship. - Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate — hybrid/in-office required. Nice to Have: - Experience integrating with external systems, third-party APIs, or legacy platforms. - Applied AI or workflow/orchestration experience: agentic workflows, RAG pipelines, or LLM-enabled features. - Python proficiency; modern web/backend stacks are welcome — engineering quality matters more than specific stack. - 0-to-1 product building experience. Not a fit if you are: frontend-only, data/internal-tools-only, pure DevOps/SRE without product ownership, or pure research/ML without a shipping track record. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Base salary: Up to $275,000 depending on experience - Equity: Meaningful early-stage equity package - Visa sponsorship: Not available — must be authorized to work in the US LOCATION This role is on-site / hybrid in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be based in SF or willing to relocate.