Clera

Founding Engineering Lead

United States full-time Executive $200,000 - $400,000
full-time Executive level Technology & IT Salary listed Curated
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About the role

About the Role
Lead engineering for an early-stage SaaS team building applied AI products for enterprise software. You will own architecture and technical direction while staying hands-on, partnering with company leadership on product and machine learning strategy.
What You'll Do

Build and lead a pod of three to four engineers, supporting their growth, performance, and hiring while shipping critical work yourself.

Own platform architecture and make build-versus-buy and infrastructure decisions.

Set engineering standards for AI-assisted development, including review criteria, definition of done, release cadence, and on-call practices.

Lead technical designs and initial implementations for new initiatives.

Assess applied machine learning approaches and distinguish research that can support live systems from more speculative ideas.

Partner with company leadership on product roadmap, model strategy, and machine learning direction.

What We're Looking For

At least 5 years of engineering experience, ideally as a technical founder, founding engineer, staff-level individual contributor, or technical lead.

Recent experience as the primary author of shipped software, with end-to-end ownership and minimal oversight.

Experience leading engineers and setting technical standards, architecture, and infrastructure practices.

Applied machine learning judgment, including classical methods, transformers, world models, and AI agents.

Strong practical use of AI coding agents, comfort with ambiguity and inherited code, and a willingness to take on unglamorous work.

Compensation & Benefits
Salary range: $200,000 to $400,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Location
On-site in New York City.
Originally posted on Himalayas

Interview prep

Walk in with sharper answers.

Use this as a quick practice sheet before you speak with the employer.

Executive
Technology & IT Founding Engineering Technology Executive level full-time

Likely questions

  1. Tell us about work you have done that is close to the Founding Engineering Lead role.
  2. How would you approach your first 30 days at Clera?
  3. Which of Founding, Engineering and Technology have you used recently, and what did it help you achieve?
  4. How have you led people, improved a process, or made a hard decision in a previous role?
  5. How do you handle busy days, changing priorities, or pressure at work?

Prepare before the call

  • A recent example that proves your experience with Founding, Engineering and Technology.
  • One short story with a problem, your action, and the result.
  • Two examples that show the strengths listed on your CV.
  • A clear reason why this role and company interest you.
  • Your availability, preferred work style, and salary expectations.

Ask them

  • What would success look like in the first 90 days?
  • What are the main problems this hire should help solve?
  • How does the team give feedback and measure good work?
  • What does a normal working week look like for this role?
Practice line

I am interested in the Founding Engineering Lead role because I can bring practical experience in Founding, Engineering and Technology, learn the team quickly, and contribute to the outcomes Clera needs from this hire.

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