Founding Engineer

Talent Forge Australia

Founding Engineer (Full‑Stack / Backend‑Leaning)

Early‑Stage AI SaaS | Sydney (Hybrid)

$160k–$200k base + Meaningful equity (10–20%)

We are partnered with an early‑stage AI SaaS startup at a pivotal moment. This is a Founding Engineer role for someone who wants real ownership, influence, and skin in the game.

You won't be waiting on requirements or inheriting a polished platform. You'll step into an active prototype, own the codebase, and become the technical backbone of the business alongside the founders.

The Opportunity

Brand‑new AI‑driven SaaS product (pre‑revenue, post‑MVP)
Small founding team — fast decisions, no bureaucracy
End‑to‑end platform ownership from day one
Strong runway with clear plans to scale

This role suits someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast, and takes responsibility for outcomes — not just code.

What You'll Be Doing

Owning and shipping features across a full‑stack codebase at pace
Making core architectural and infrastructure decisions
Transitioning early infrastructure toward AWS as the product scales
Building and maintaining AI‑powered workflows in production
Partnering with founders on product and technical direction
Laying the foundations for future engineering hires

Tech Environment (Current & Near‑Term)

React / Next.js · TypeScript · Node.js · Supabase · Vercel / Railway · AWS (planned) · AI workflow orchestration (N8N or similar)

Full‑stack role, backend‑leaning preferred. You don't need to have used every tool — but you must be confident owning systems like this in production.

Strong Fit If You

Have built and shipped SaaS products at early‑stage startups
Are comfortable inheriting code and making independent decisions
Can balance speed with long‑term thinking
Want equity, responsibility, and genuine influence

Not a Fit If You

Prefer large teams and well‑defined processes
Need extensive handover or direction
Are looking for a narrow or "safe" scope

If this sounds like the challenge you've been looking for, reach out to ***email_hidden***