Founding Software Engineer (Data / ML Infrastructure)

Founding Software Engineer (Data / ML Infrastructure)San Mateo, CA (Onsite)Compensation$180k – $220k baseEquity: 0.75% – 1.5%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 roleYou’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 workflowsManaging GPU utilization, distributed training, and resource allocationSetting up data versioning, lineage, and reproducibility across experimentsDeveloping internal tooling to explore and leverage real-world data efficientlyYou’ll work directly with the founders on both technical direction and broader company roadmap.What they’re looking forStrong experience building data / ML infrastructure systems end-to-endBackground in MLOps, data engineering, or ML platform engineeringHands-on experience with tools such as PyTorch, Spark, GRPC, Triton, or similarSolid understanding of distributed systems and large-scale data processingAbility to operate autonomously in a startup environment and build from scratchNice to have:Experience with multimodal data (video, robotics, sensor data)Exposure to robotics or real-world ML deployment challengesExperience managing large-scale GPU training workloadsWhy joinFounding-level role with high ownership and direct impactWork on one of the hardest problems in robotics: manipulation of soft materials in real-world environmentsReal deployments already in place, not just researchBacked by leading investors, with strong early traction and clear market applicationLogisticsOnsite in San Mateo, 5 days/week (some flexibility for strong candidates)Visa sponsorship available (TN, H1B transfer, O1)