Founding Engineer (Applied AI)

About the Role

Join an early-stage, seed-funded AI startup in the construction tech space that is automating the process of reading construction blueprints and extracting material and cost data. The company is tackling a massive, largely manual industry problem using cutting-edge computer vision and AI - and this hire will be a core part of the technical foundation. If you love hard problems, shipping quickly, and iterating directly with users, this is the role for you.

What You'll Do

Focus on the intelligence layer - ML models, algorithms, and AI systems - rather than the application layer

Apply the latest computer vision, LLM, and AI techniques to real construction documents (blueprints, plans, specs)

Ship initial prototypes fast, then iterate based on direct user feedback

Help design and coordinate a model-garden architecture for blueprint understanding

Work on object detection models and supporting ML pipelines in production

What We're Looking For

Required:

Hands-on applied Computer Vision and ML/Deep Learning experience

Strong Python skills

Proven 0-to-1 builder - you have shipped AI/ML systems to production

Growth mindset: we value trajectory over pedigree

Comfortable with ambiguity, early-stage grind, and getting deep into hard problems

Communicates with empathy and honesty

Nice to Have:

Prior founder or startup experience - you've built something people used or paid for

Background in construction, architecture, or related trades

Impact-driven mindset aligned with making housing and infrastructure more accessible

Compensation & Details

Salary: $100,000 – $180,000 USD annually

Employment: Full-time

Visa sponsorship: Not available

Location

This role is fully on-site in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be SF-based or willing to relocate.