Founding Software Engineer

Job Description

Founding Software Engineer | Hera

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Hera, located in Berlin, Germany, with remote possibilities from New York, NY or San Francisco, CA. Hera is a rapidly growing AI video production startup on a mission to revolutionize how animations are created. This pivotal role allows you to lead the technical development of an innovative platform, transforming initial concepts into robust, user-centric solutions. You will have end-to-end ownership and the opportunity to shape both the technical foundation and the future engineering culture of the team.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Berlin, Germany (On-site Strongly Preferred) | Remote possible from New York, NY or San Francisco, CA
• Pay: €80,000 – €130,000 per year ($80,000 – $130,000 annually)
• Mission: Transform initial concepts into robust, user-centric solutions by designing scalable architectures, optimizing AI systems, and developing a core motion graphics engine.
• Tech Stack: TypeScript, React.js, Next.js, PostgreSQL, GCP/AWS

What You’ll Actually Do
• Product Partnership: Partner closely with the founders to deliver user-centric product solutions, guiding them from initial concept through to full production.
• End-to-End Ownership: Take end-to-end ownership of the development lifecycle for full-stack product features.
• Scalable Architecture: Design and implement scalable architectures that facilitate rapid product iteration and support long-term growth to potentially millions of users.
• AI System Optimization: Build and optimize cutting-edge agentic LLM systems, leveraging tool-calling, multi-step reasoning, and MCP protocols to minimize latency and cost.
• Engine Development: Develop a high-performance motion graphics engine crucial for the platform’s core functionality.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Experienced professional in software development with a strong focus on full-stack solutions.
• Experience: At least 1 year of hands-on experience building and shipping production software, extensive experience building or working with modern web applications, and a proven track record of working with or within a top high-growth startup or an elite technology company.
• Skills: Strong full-stack development skills including TypeScript, React.js, Next.js, PostgreSQL, and cloud platforms like GCP/AWS, exceptional programming and system design skills, and demonstrated ability to efficiently ship high-quality products.