Founding Engineer

FutureTech Recruitment
Palo Alto, California, United StatesFull-time$350,000–$650,000Posted Aug 30, 2026

About the role

Founding Engineer

Onsite - Palo Alto, CA

Base $350-650k + Equity

FutureTech Recruitment is partnered with a $20M seed-funded AI-FinTech startup backed by tier-1 institutional investors and some of the most sophisticated traders in global financial markets. The company is building orchestration infrastructure that turns natural language intent into settled financial action - across any asset class, in real time. Hundreds of millions of dollars already processed privately. Institutional interest from some of the largest names in finance.

Four people in Palo Alto. This is one of the first three engineering hires - a founding team role in the truest sense.

What You'll Own

Ship product surface end-to-end - from the chat interface a user types their thesis into, to the agent loop that turns it into a tested strategy, to the rails that settle it

Rebuild the chat interface - move from one-shot workflow generation to a chat-first experience with artifact panes

Build the strategy execution layer - agents translate intent into proposed strategies, you build the infrastructure that takes those live across exchanges, prediction markets, and on-chain venues

Own the integration of a new asset class (commodities, prediction markets, equities) into the natural language layer end-to-end

Hunt your own scope - identify what the product needs next and propose it. Direction, not a queue

Bring the best engineering culture you’ve been exposed to - the protocols, code review norms, the way you ship under pressure without breaking things

Requirements

5+ years as a backend-leaning engineer at high-pedigree, talent-dense startups

Demonstrated track record as a lead IC building products end-to-end

Track record running point on a 0-to-1 product surface at an early-stage startup

Background in trading, prediction markets, data-driven products, or payments

Strong technical fundamentals in TypeScript and Python

Builder at heart - public artefact trail essential (open source, side projects, things you built because you wanted them to exist)

Tech Stack

TypeScript, Python, Agentic Systems, Real-Time Execution Infrastructure

$20M seed, tier-1 backed, hundreds of millions already processed, institutional validation from the biggest names in finance. Genuinely hard engineering problems, no bureaucracy. If you want to own a product surface at the intersection of AI and financial markets from day one, click Apply Now!

Responsibilities

  • Ship product surface end-to-end
  • Rebuild the chat interface for a chat-first experience
  • Build the strategy execution layer for live trading
  • Own the integration of new asset classes into the natural language layer
  • Identify product needs and propose solutions
  • Bring best engineering culture and practices

Qualifications

  • 5+ years as a backend-leaning engineer at high-pedigree startups
  • Demonstrated track record as a lead IC building products end-to-end
  • Experience running point on a 0-to-1 product surface
  • Background in trading, prediction markets, or data-driven products
  • Strong technical fundamentals in TypeScript and Python
  • Public artefact trail essential

Benefits

  • Equity

Skills mentioned

TypeScriptPythonAI AgentsBackend DevelopmentFrontend DevelopmentSystem DesignDistributed SystemsEvent-Driven ArchitectureAPI IntegrationREST APIs

About FutureTech Recruitment

At FutureTech Recruitment, our purpose is to drive transformative growth by connecting talent with innovative FinTech and AI companies. We specialize in sourcing and placing top-tier software engineers and executives who are crucial for the success of well-funded start-ups and businesses approaching IPO. Our commitment goes beyond traditional recruitment; we prioritize genuine customer service and long-term relationships. By understanding the unique needs of both our clients and candidates, we ensure precise matches that foster innovation and success. With a fast turnaround and transparent process, we aim to be the trusted partner in your journey to excellence and growth.

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