Founding Product Engineer

About the Role

Day-to-day, the role entails working closely with a diverse team of experts, including the CEO, CPO, and CMO, to ensure that technical solutions align with business objectives. The position requires a deep understanding of what drives real-world reliability and business impact, with a focus on building a development pipeline that enhances shipping velocity.

What You Will Do

• Build complete features end-to-end, from data model to API to UI, ensuring seamless integration and user experience.
• Own the technical direction, making strategic decisions on architecture, infrastructure, security, and performance to drive scalability and efficiency.
• Design and own LLM pipelines that power Pling's AI features, including prompt design, structured outputs, evaluations, monitoring, and cost tracking.
• Set engineering standards across code and AI features, focusing on testing, CI/CD, observability, and code review to maintain high-quality deliverables.
• Define and lead the migration to the next-generation architecture, making stack choices that align with business and technical goals.
• Build the development pipeline to enhance shipping velocity, ensuring that the team can rapidly respond to market demands and customer needs.
• Hire and lead the next engineer, defining how the team works and ensuring that new members are well-integrated and productive.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure that technical solutions meet business requirements and customer expectations.

What We Are Looking For

• Experience of 6-9+ years building production software in fast-paced environments, with at least 2 years focused on LLM-powered features in production.
• Pragmatic approach to architecture and tradeoffs, with the ability to remove complexity rather than add it.
• Comfort across the stack, with a backend center of gravity but the ability to ship end-to-end.
• Production experience with Python, TypeScript/Node.js, and modern databases (SQL and NoSQL).
• AI-native fluency, with a deep practical understanding of LLM behavior, including prompting, structured outputs, context window management, and handling non-determinism.
• Ability to write evals that catch regressions before users do and to make pragmatic model selections based on cost, latency, and quality tradeoffs.
• Understanding of when not to use an LLM, preferring deterministic code or simpler solutions when appropriate.

Nice to Have

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and version control systems (Git).
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and compliance frameworks relevant to the healthcare industry.
• Experience in mentoring or leading engineering teams, with a focus on team culture and development.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive compensation package, reflecting the importance of this role to the company's growth and success.
• Opportunity to work with a diverse and talented team, including experienced professionals from Silicon Valley and European startups.
• Flexible working conditions, including remote work options, to support work-life balance and productivity.
• Professional development opportunities, including training, mentorship, and conference sponsorships, to ensure continuous growth and skill enhancement.
• Access to the latest technologies and tools, allowing for innovative solutions and experimentation.
• A dynamic and supportive work environment, with regular team-building activities and social events.

• Tip: Highlight your experience with AI-native technologies and scalable architecture in your resume and cover letter, as these are key areas of focus for the role.
• Ensure you have a deep understanding of LLM behavior and can articulate instances where you've successfully implemented LLM-powered features in production.
• Showcase: Be prepared to showcase your coding skills, particularly in Python, TypeScript/Node.js, and modern databases, through practical examples or coding challenges during the interview process.
• Advice: Emphasize your ability to work independently and as part of a team, with a focus on collaboration and open communication.
• Reminder: Prepare questions to ask during the interview, such as the company's approach to professional development, team culture, and the challenges faced by the engineering team, to demonstrate your interest in the role and the company.