Founding Software Engineer

Job Description

Founding Software Engineer – AI Video Production Startup

Location: Berlin, Germany (On-site Strongly Preferred) or Remote (New York, NY; San Francisco, CA)

Salary Range: €80,000 – €130,000 per year / $80,000 – $130,000 annually (for US remote locations)

Equity: 0.75% – 1.50%

About the Company

We are an innovative AI video production startup on a mission to revolutionize how animations are created. We are building the world’s first AI motion designer, designed to create professional animations in seconds. Traditional motion design tools like After Effects are complex and time-consuming, forcing video teams to waste countless hours on animating. Our solution, Hera, allows users to generate animations through natural conversation with AI prompts and provides on-canvas editing for fine-tuning every parameter. Join us to transform creative tools through the power of AI.

Job Overview

We are seeking a highly talented and driven Founding Software Engineer to lead the technical development of our groundbreaking AI video production platform. In this pivotal role, you will partner closely with the founders, taking ownership of the end-to-end development of full-stack product features from initial concept to full-scale production. Your expertise will be crucial in designing scalable architectures that not only support rapid product iteration but also ensure long-term growth and stability for a platform serving potentially millions of users.

A significant part of your role will involve optimizing agentic LLM systems, focusing on tool-calling, multi-step reasoning, and MCP protocols to achieve minimal latency and cost across diverse model architectures. You will also be responsible for developing a high-performance motion graphics engine and making strategic architectural decisions critical for scaling the platform. This is a unique opportunity to work closely with an elite team, where your contributions will have a direct impact on shaping both the technical foundation and the future engineering culture of our rapidly growing startup. If you thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and are motivated by ownership and long-term impact, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner closely with the founders to deliver user-centric product solutions, from initial concept to full-scale production.
• Take full ownership of the end-to-end development of full-stack product features.
• Design and implement scalable architecture to support rapid product iteration and accommodate long-term growth.
• Build and optimize agentic LLM systems, focusing on tool-calling, multi-step reasoning, and MCP protocols.
• Optimize LLM inference performance, latency, and cost across multiple model architectures.
• Develop a high-performance motion graphics engine.
• Make critical architectural decisions to ensure the platform can scale effectively to millions of users.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with full-stack development, including technologies such as TypeScript, React.js, Next.js, PostgreSQL, and cloud platforms like GCP/AWS.
• Proven experience working within a top high-growth startup or an elite technology company (e.g., top YC startups, Palantir, Stripe, Ramp, Notion, Figma, Scale AI, Anduril).
• At least 1 year of experience building production software.
• Demonstrated experience building or working with modern web applications.
• Robust programming and system design skills.
• Ability to ship high-quality products quickly in fast-moving, dynamic environments.

Interview Process

1. Intro call with the founders
2. Technical discussion and system design conversation
3. Practical technical exercise or ML discussion
4. Final founder interview

Benefits

• Competitive Salary & Equity Package
• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Retirement/401k