Job description

Founding Engineer, AI — Shiplight AI

Do you agree we’re living through the AI revolution?
Do you want to be part of it — and run ahead of the curve?
Are you ready to help 100x productivity?

If so, join us.

At Shiplight AI, our mission is to build the foundation for enterprise-scale automation powered by intelligent agents. We believe every organization should have AI systems that can understand context, take action, and collaborate seamlessly with humans — transforming how work gets done across the enterprise.

Our first mission: fully automate software quality assurance. We’re building state-of-the-art agentic QA systems that integrate deeply into the software development cycle — empowering every product manager, developer, and tester with their own AI QA engineer that validates work in real time.

You’ll be joining a small, mission-driven founding team led by industry veterans, working at the intersection of AI agents, system engineering, and real-world developer productivity.

What You’ll Do

Build core systems that enable AI agents to autonomously test and reason about complex applications.
Design, prototype, and ship agentic browser and device automation components.
Work directly with the founders to define architecture, roadmap, and company culture.
Experiment with cutting-edge context engineering techniques to improve reasoning and adaptability.
Move fast — from prototype to production — with high ownership and autonomy.

Who You Are

Mission-driven — you want to help shape the next era of AI-powered software development.
Curious and resourceful — you love solving hard, open-ended problems.
Hands-on builder — you thrive in early-stage environments with high speed and uncertainty.
Collaborative — you value teamwork and open technical debate.
You have 1–3 years of startup experience in the AI domain.
You’re eager to grow into a technical leader and make a massive impact early.

Ideal Skills

Strong engineering fundamentals and product mindset.
Proficiency in Python and TypeScript.
Deep understanding of context engineering and prompt-based reasoning systems.
Familiarity with browser automation, mobile automation, or QA tooling is a plus.
Comfortable working across the stack — backend, frontend, and AI interfaces.

Location

San Francisco Bay Area — hybrid preferred.
We move fast, iterate face-to-face, and believe early teams build the strongest culture.

Why Join Now

Join at the earliest stage as the first founding engineer.
Shape both the product and technical vision.
Work directly with founders who’ve built successful systems and products before.
Receive generous equity and play a defining role in the company’s success.

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Based on publicly available information, candidates applying through Ashby for roles at Pear VC can typically expect a structured online application, often followed by an initial screening conversation with a recruiter or talent team member. The process may include multiple stages, such as functional or role-specific interviews, take-home assessments, or case studies depending on the position, and possibly a conversation with hiring managers or team members who would be close collaborators. Ashby-based processes commonly allow candidates to track application status through an online portal and may include automated updates at various stages. Response times vary and can depend on role seniority and hiring volume. Candidates should generally prepare to discuss relevant experience, technical or domain skills, and motivation for the role, while understanding that exact steps and pacing can differ by team and position.

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AI Engineer