Founding Software Engineer

Job Description

Founding Software Engineer | Hera

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Hera, located in Berlin, Germany (on-site strongly preferred) or remote in New York, NY or San Francisco, CA. Hera is an AI video production startup on a mission to revolutionize how animations are created, building the world’s first AI motion designer. This role is crucial for leading the technical development of their groundbreaking platform, directly shaping both its technical foundation and the future engineering culture.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Berlin, Germany (On-site Strongly Preferred) or Remote (New York, NY; San Francisco, CA)
• Pay: €80,000 – €130,000 per year / $80,000 – $130,000 annually
• Mission: Lead the technical development of Hera’s groundbreaking AI video production platform.
• Tech Stack: TypeScript, React.js, Next.js, PostgreSQL, GCP/AWS

What You’ll Actually Do
• Partner: Collaborate closely with the founders to deliver user-centric product solutions, guiding them from initial concept through to full-scale production.
• Own: Take full ownership of the end-to-end development of critical full-stack product features for the platform.
• Design: Design and implement scalable architecture that supports rapid product iteration and ensures long-term growth for millions of potential users.
• Build: Build and optimize agentic LLM systems, specifically focusing on tool-calling, multi-step reasoning, and MCP protocols to achieve minimal latency and cost.
• Develop: Develop a high-performance motion graphics engine, making strategic architectural decisions essential for the platform’s overall scalability.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Possess robust programming and system design skills, ready to apply them in a dynamic environment focused on significant ownership and long-term impact.
• Experience: At least 1 year of experience building production software, coupled with demonstrated experience working with or building modern web applications.
• Skills: Strong full-stack development expertise including TypeScript, React.js, Next.js, PostgreSQL, and cloud platforms like GCP/AWS, alongside the ability to ship high-quality products quickly.
• Bonus: Proven experience working within a top high-growth startup or an elite technology company, such as top YC startups, Palantir, Stripe, Ramp, Notion, Figma, Scale AI, or Anduril.