Principal Software EngineerCEF AI • San Francisco, CA, United States
Principal Software Engineer
CEF AI • San Francisco, CA, United States
[job_card.30_days_ago]
[job_preview.job_type]
- [job_card.full_time]
[job_card.job_description]Experience : 4+ years in high-performance software environments, with a proven track record of shipping complex systems end-to-end. Deep Technical Expertise : Mastery of one or more systems languages (Go, Rust, Kotlin, etc.) and strong backend engineering fundamentals. Architectural Fluency : Experience designing and scaling distributed systems with performance, reliability, and observability in mind. Quality & Testing : Strong discipline around testing, CI / CD, and long-term maintainability (TDD preferred). Builder Mindset : Ability to turn ambiguity into architecture, and architecture into reliable, extensible code. Communication : Clear, concise communicator who can explain tradeoffs, write technical specs, and mentor junior engineers. Bonus : Experience with edge computing, Web3 protocols, real-time data infra, or AI / ML-powered systems. Competitive Compensation & Meaningful Equity : We offer founder-level alignment because this is a founder-level role. High-Ownership Role : You’ll directly shape our technical direction and long-term stack architecture. Work with Top-Tier Founders & Engineers : Collaborate daily with a deeply technical, mission-driven leadership team. Build the Future of AI Infrastructure : We're not optimizing yesterday's workflows—we're inventing tomorrow's. Zero Bureaucracy, Maximum Autonomy : We stay lean, move fast, and trust you to lead. Remote-First, In-Person When It Counts : We're distributed across SF and Europe, with monthly hackathons and off-sites to align and build together. Intro Call – A quick chat to align on expectations, interests, and team fit. Technical Deep Dive – A focused conversation with our Engineering Manager to explore your systems thinking and past work. CEO Interview – A strategic discussion around vision, mindset, and long-term alignment. Reference Collection – We’ll speak with a few people you’ve worked closely with. Paid Trial (~5 Days) – A short, real-world engagement so we can see how we work together, happening in parallel with offer and terms discussion.
Are you excited by the opportunity to become a part of a badass team leading the AI-first data revolution?
Do you thrive on solving hard problems (individually and collectively), yet humble and hungry to learn and grow within a team on your path to greatness?
Do you desire to become a part of a close-knit pack led by SV startup veterans who can accelerate your growth 10X (compared to the corporate trajectory / culture)?
If you’ve answered with 3 resounding "yes", then we want to meet you!
You will play a critical role in designing and building our AI-first data computing platform. This is not just an execution role — we’re looking for someone who thinks strategically, moves with intention, and can take ideas from concept to production with a balance of technical depth and practical decision-making.
You’ll be working across the stack, applying modern technologies to develop performant, secure, and scalable systems. This is an opportunity to help shape the foundation of a platform that powers real-world AI applications at scale.
Tasks
- Systems Architecture : Design, implement, and scale foundational backend systems and APIs that power decentralized, real-time AI workflows.
- Developer Experience : Own the end-to-end developer journey by building SDKs, CLIs, and interfaces that make it easy to interact with our platform.
- Cross-Stack Execution : Rapidly prototype and productize features using tools like Cursor, React, and TypeScript—without sacrificing quality or scale.
- Technical Leadership : Guide architectural decisions, lead design reviews, and mentor engineers in best practices for distributed, high-performance systems.
- Collaboration : Partner with product, design, and leadership to align technical execution with company vision and user needs.
- Execution Ownership : Drive key projects from 0→1 with autonomy, accountability, and a strong bias for action.
Requirements
Benefits
Our Hiring Process
We move fast, stay transparent, and focus on real collaboration. Here’s what the process looks like :
Join CEF AI as a Principal Software Engineer to help design and deliver the future of privacy-first, agentic AI. If you want to work on original systems that will define the next decade of compute - apply now.
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