Founding Software Engineer (Data / ML Infrastructure)

Founding Software Engineer (Data / ML Infrastructure) San Mateo, CA (Onsite) Compensation $180k – $220k base Equity: 0.75% – 1.5%Considering making an application for this job Check all the details in this job description, and then click on Apply.We’re supporting a fast-growing AI startup building real-world robotics systems, already deployed with customers and backed by top-tier investors. This is not a research lab environment. The focus is on shipping production systems that operate in messy, real-world settings, with a strong emphasis on impact and deployment. They’re now hiring a Founding Engineer to build the data and ML infrastructure powering their models end-to-end. The role You’ll own the systems that sit at the core of model development, from raw data ingestion through to training and deployment. This includes: Designing and scaling data pipelines for large-scale, multimodal datasets (including video and sensor data) Building and optimizing ML training infrastructure and workflows Managing GPU utilization, distributed training, and resource allocation Setting up data versioning, lineage, and reproducibility across experiments Developing internal tooling to explore and leverage real-world data efficiently You’ll work directly with the founders on both technical direction and broader company roadmap. What they’re looking for Strong experience building data / ML infrastructure systems end-to-end Background in MLOps, data engineering, or ML platform engineering Hands-on experience with tools such as PyTorch, Spark, GRPC, Triton, or similar Solid understanding of distributed systems and large-scale data processing Ability to operate autonomously in a startup environment and build from scratch Nice to have: Experience with multimodal data (video, robotics, sensor data) Exposure to robotics or real-world xywuqvp ML deployment challenges Experience managing large-scale GPU training workloads Why join Founding-level role with high ownership and direct impact Work on one of the hardest problems in robotics: manipulation of soft materials in real-world environments Real deployments already in place, not just research Backed by leading investors, with strong early traction and clear market application Logistics Onsite in San Mateo, 5 days/week (some flexibility for strong candidates) Visa sponsorship available (TN, H1B transfer, O1)