Founding MEP Software Engineer

About the role

Founding MEP Software Engineer

San Francisco, California (On-site)

$150,000–$200,000+ (flexible for exceptional profiles) + Meaningful Equity + Relocation + Visa Sponsorship

Are you an MEP engineer who escaped into software?

Or perhaps you started in software and found yourself building tools for MEP engineers.

Either way, you've seen first-hand how outdated engineering design software has become—and you've wondered how you'd build it differently.

Our client is an early-stage, venture-backed company building an AI-native CAD platform from the ground up. Rather than adding AI to legacy software, they're rethinking how engineers design buildings in a world where AI can reason alongside them.

As one of the company's earliest hires, you'll own the MEP product vertical and help define how AI designs HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems for the next generation of engineers.

The Opportunity

This is a product engineering role disguised as a software engineering role.

You'll work directly with the founders to turn real MEP engineering practice into intelligent software products.

Your initial focus will be HVAC, helping define how AI generates, evaluates and optimises engineering layouts.

You'll decide what "good engineering" looks like before the AI generates it—and then help build the software that makes it possible.

What You'll Do

Build AI-powered tools for HVAC, mechanical, electrical and plumbing workflows.

Translate real MEP engineering practice into scalable software products.

Define the rules, constraints and content libraries that guide AI-generated engineering output.

Develop production software using Python, React and TypeScript.

Work directly with customers to understand workflows and translate them into product features.

Shape the roadmap as one of the company's earliest engineering hires.

Challenge assumptions and contribute original ideas—the team values thoughtful disagreement over consensus.

About You

You've built genuine depth in both MEP engineering and software engineering.

You're naturally curious, enjoy solving difficult problems from first principles and have strong views on how engineering software should evolve.

You're the sort of engineer who questions why things are done a certain way—and enjoys building something better.

Essential Experience

Path A (Preferred): MEP → Software

Professional MEP design experience (HVAC, Mechanical, Electrical or Plumbing).

Transitioned into commercial software engineering, building production software rather than simple automation scripts.

Strong Python skills with the ability to contribute across the stack.

Path B: Software → MEP

Commercial software engineering background.

Strong Python development experience.

At least 1–2 years embedded within an MEP consultancy or MEP software business, building internal tools, automation or engineering products.

Genuine understanding of MEP design workflows.

Desirable Experience

HVAC system design.

Revit API.

BIM or CAD platforms.

Computational Design.

Design Automation.

React.

TypeScript.

AI-assisted software development.

Startup or early-stage product development.

Ideal Backgrounds

You may currently be working as a:

MEP Software Engineer

Building Services Engineer turned Software Engineer

BIM Automation Engineer

Digital Engineering Engineer

Computational Design Engineer

Revit API Developer

Software Engineer within an MEP consultancy's digital engineering or automation team

Product Engineer building AEC software

Experience within leading MEP consultancies, CAD software companies or engineering technology startups will be highly relevant.

Why Join?

Become the founding engineering hire for the MEP product.

Work directly alongside a highly technical founding team.

Meaningful equity from day one.

Significant influence over both product and technical direction.

Visa sponsorship and relocation support available.

Compensation is flexible for exceptional candidates.

Apply

If you've successfully combined building services engineering with professional software development—and want to define how AI designs the systems that run modern buildings—we'd love to hear from you.

Please note: We welcome candidates who have built genuine depth in both MEP and software engineering, regardless of which discipline they started in. However, experience limited to scripting or light automation, without building production software, is unlikely to be sufficient.