Founding Engineer

About Huzzle

At Huzzle, we connect exceptional talent with top opportunities at leading companies across the UK, US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Our clients include high-growth startups, venture-backed tech companies, and innovative platforms across SaaS, FinTech, AI, and Web3.

Unlike traditional outsourcing agencies, we place you directly with a client—where you're hired in-house as a core team member, with real ownership and long-term upside.

Location: On-site - San Francisco, USA (Non-negotiable)

About The Company

Our client is an early-stage, venture-backed startup building a category-defining platform designed to transform how businesses operate in a digital-first world. With experienced founders, strong early traction, and ambitious growth plans, the company is now seeking a Founding Engineer / CTO to define and scale its entire technology function from the ground up.

Job Summary

This is a rare opportunity to join at the ground floor as a Founding Engineer / CTO, owning the technical vision, architecture, and execution from MVP to scale. You will operate as both a hands-on builder and strategic leader, working closely with founders and investors to shape the product, engineering culture, and long-term innovation roadmap.

If you're looking for a high-impact remote startup role where you can combine deep technical expertise with executive-level influence, this is it.

Key Responsibilities

* Define and execute the company's technical vision, architecture, and product roadmap

* Lead full-stack development from MVP to a scalable, production-ready platform

* Make critical decisions on tech stack, infrastructure, and system design

* Build, hire, and mentor a high-performing engineering team

* Establish engineering best practices, workflows, and performance standards

* Collaborate with founders on business strategy, fundraising, and product-market fit

* Ensure system scalability, security, and reliability across all environments

* Represent the technical function at the executive level with stakeholders and investors

Tech Stack

* Languages: TypeScript, JavaScript, Python (bonus)

* Frontend: React, Next.js

* Backend: Node.js (Express/NestJS), Python (FastAPI/Django)

* Infrastructure: AWS / GCP, Cloudflare Workers/R2, Docker, CI/CD pipelines

* Database: PostgreSQL, Redis

* AI & APIs: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, Bedrock, OpenRouter

* Dev Tools: Git, Linear, Cursor, Augment

Requirements

* 6-10+ years of software engineering experience, including leadership roles

* Proven experience building and scaling products in startup environments

* Strong full-stack expertise with the ability to remain hands-on

* Experience leading engineering teams and defining technical direction

* Deep understanding of system architecture, scalability, and cloud infrastructure

* Strong business acumen with the ability to align tech with company goals

* Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders

* Prior experience as a Founding Engineer, Head of Engineering, or CTO is highly preferred

Benefits

💰 Competitive salary (based on experience)

📈 Significant equity stake with early-stage upside

🏢 Work onsite in San Francisco alongside founders and leadership team

🚀 True ownership over product, engineering, and long-term technology vision

🧠 Collaborate with experienced founders and top-tier investors

🎯 Opportunity to build and lead a world-class engineering organization