Founding AI engineer

Posted An Hour Ago
Be an Early Applicant
9 Locations
Remote
75K-120K Annually
Senior level
Artificial Intelligence • Enterprise Web • Software • Automation
The Role
Build and lead the AI engineering platform for enterprise COBOL modernization. Responsibilities include designing transformer models for COBOL-to-Java/Python translation, developing high-performance code analysis engines, optimizing inference, architecting distributed cloud-native systems, and delivering reliable AI pipelines for large enterprise codebases. The role also includes hiring and leading engineering teams, shaping product strategy, and partnering with the CEO as a technical co-founder.
Summary Generated by Built In

You'll be Employee #3, working directly with us to build technology that will modernize the backbone of global commerce. This isn't incremental improvement—this is category creation.

The Technical Challenge:

  • Design and implement transformer architectures specifically optimized for COBOL→Java/Python translation

  • Build real-time code analysis engines processing millions of lines with sub-second latency

  • Create enterprise-grade AI pipelines handling Fortune 100 codebases with zero tolerance for error

  • Architect distributed systems supporting concurrent modernization of 50+ million line codebases

What We Demand (Non-Negotiable)

Technical Mastery:

  • 8+ years building production AI/ML systems at scale (not research, not prototypes—systems handling real user traffic)

  • Deep expertise in transformer architectures, fine-tuning, and custom model development

  • Proven track record optimizing inference for enterprise workloads (sub-100ms response times)

  • Systems engineering excellence: distributed computing, microservices, cloud-native architecture

  • Battle-tested experience with PyTorch/TensorFlow, CUDA optimization, and model deployment

Founding DNA:

  • 0→1 product builder: You've taken ideas from whiteboard to millions of users

  • Technical leadership: You've hired and led engineering teams of 10+ engineers

  • Ownership mentality: You think like an owner because you've been one

Enterprise Credibility:

  • B2B product intuition: You've built products that CFOs and CTOs actually buy and deploy

  • Performance obsession: You've optimized systems handling billions of transactions with 99.99% uptime

What Sets You Apart from 99.9% of Engineers
  • You've shipped AI products that generated $10M+ in revenue

  • You can debug transformer attention mechanisms as easily as you debug distributed systems

  • You've led technical due diligence for VC firms or been the technical founder VCs bet on

  • You speak both languages: You can explain neural architecture to PhD researchers and ROI to enterprise buyers

  • You have pattern recognition from seeing multiple 0→1 journeys and know what actually scales

The Opportunity

Immediate Impact:

  • Technical co-founder role with significant equity upside

  • Direct partnership with CEO on product strategy and technical vision

  • Ownership of entire AI engineering organization as we scale to 100+ engineers

  • Platform architecture decisions that will define a multi-billion dollar market

Market Timing:

  • Zero real competition in AI-powered COBOL modernization

  • Massive tailwinds: Every enterprise needs this, regulatory pressure increasing, COBOL talent retiring

Financial Upside:

  • Equity package designed for 10x+ returns based on current traction. (2% equity vesting in 4 years)

  • Fast-track to CTO as we scale through Series B and beyond

  • Life-changing wealth creation opportunity in a category we're defining

What We Offer Beyond Compensation
  • Unlimited PTO (because we hire people who don't need to be managed)

  • $5K annual learning budget for conferences, courses, and technical development

  • Top-tier health/dental/vision with 100% company coverage

  • Latest hardware: M3 MacBook Pro, multiple 4K monitors, whatever you need to be productive

  • San Francisco office in SOMA with optional remote flexibility

The Interview Process (Designed for Busy Founders)
  1. 30-minute technical screen with our CEO (we respect your time)

  2. Technical deep-dive (4 hours): Architecture design + live coding + system design

  3. Product strategy session (2 hours): How would you scale our AI platform?

  4. Reference calls with previous co-founders/technical leaders you've worked with

  5. Final conversation about equity, role scope, and mutual fit

Apply Only If:
  • You have concrete examples of AI systems you've built that handle enterprise workloads

  • You can start within 30 days (we're moving fast and need someone who can too)

  • You're excited about legacy modernization as a massive market opportunity, not just another AI application

Skills Required

  • 8+ years building production AI/ML systems at scale
  • Deep expertise in transformer architectures, fine-tuning, and custom model development
  • Experience optimizing inference for enterprise workloads with sub-100ms response times
  • Distributed computing, microservices, and cloud-native architecture experience
  • Production experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow
  • CUDA optimization and model deployment experience
  • Experience taking products from 0 to 1 and scaling them to millions of users
  • Experience hiring and leading engineering teams of 10 or more engineers
  • Experience building B2B products adopted by enterprise buyers
  • Experience optimizing systems handling billions of transactions with 99.99% uptime
  • Shipped AI products generating more than $10 million in revenue
  • Experience debugging transformer attention mechanisms and distributed systems
  • Experience leading technical due diligence or founding a venture-backed technology company
  • Ability to start within 30 days
Am I A Good Fit?
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The Company
2 Employees
Year Founded: 2025

What We Do

COBOL Copilot develops AI-powered digital twins of legacy systems, helping organizations understand, document, analyze, and modernize COBOL-based infrastructure. Its technology supports critical insurance, banking, and government systems, enabling faster modernization while preserving operational knowledge embedded in older software. The company offers an enterprise-oriented SaaS solution for transforming legacy applications into modern, usable digital representations for enterprises.

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