Founding Senior Engineer

Our client is a well-funded, early-stage AI company with a bold mission to rebuild the foundation of insurance claims processing. Backed by Founders Fund (an early investor in OpenAI and Scale AI) and Emergence Capital, they have already raised a $3.8M oversubscribed seed round and achieved six-figure ARR in just three months. Their small, ambitious team comes from prestigious backgrounds, including AI labs at Oxford, Cambridge, and ETH Zurich. They are committed to performance, ownership, and delivering optimal outcomes for insurers.

Our client is seeking a Founding Senior Engineer to help build a scalable backend for their AI insurance claim product. This is a chance to have a massive impact from day one, owning the foundational database and backend infrastructure. They are looking for someone with a founder's mindset who is comfortable deploying to production immediately and shaping the overall tech stack.

You will be responsible for:

• Creating the foundational database and backend infrastructure.
• Scaling systems to handle 100x growth.
• Designing and building features from scratch.
• Focusing relentlessly on scalability and performance.
• Finding, hiring, and leading engineers as the team grows.

We are seeking a senior backend engineer with a proven track record of scaling systems in high-growth, early-stage startup environments.

Must-Haves:

• 5+ years of backend development experience, with a focus on Python, Go, or Node.
• At least 1 year of experience at an early-stage startup (<100 people) or founder experience.
• Expertise in scaling systems for massive growth.
• Deep knowledge of PostgreSQL, GraphQL, and Docker.
• Experience with cloud platforms (GCP or AWS).
• Familiarity with LLM agents, including their limitations and tools.
• A strong sense of ownership and the ability to work independently.
• Willingness to work in-person in San Francisco, 5–6 days a week.

Bonus Points:

• A background in an early-stage AI startup.
• Experience in a top-tier CS program (if other experience is not as established).

• Salary: $200,000–$260,000
• Equity: 0.6%–1.2%
• Visa Sponsorship: Available

Due to the high volume of applications we anticipate, we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback to all candidates. If you do not hear back from us within 4 weeks of your application, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion. We genuinely appreciate your interest and wish you the best in your job search.

Commitment to Equality and Accessibility:

At MLabs, we are committed to offer equal opportunities to all candidates. We ensure no discrimination, accessible job adverts, and providing information in accessible formats. Our goal is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace with equal opportunities for all. If you need any reasonable adjustments during any part of the hiring process or you would like to see the job-advert in an accessible format please let us know at the earliest opportunity by emailing [email protected].

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