Founding Engineering Lead (AI)

TL;DR

Founding Engineering Lead (AI): Owning the technical foundation of a voice-based social app with an accent on AI product primitives and low-latency interaction design. Focus on building scalable systems, rapid experimentation, and growing a high-quality engineering team from the ground up.

Location: Must be based in or able to work onsite in New York

Compensation: $180,000–$220,000 per year

Company

hirify.global is an AI-driven social startup backed by Sequoia Capital and AI Fund, dedicated to helping people build real-world social courage through interactive voice-based experiences.

What you will do

• Own the end-to-end technical foundation including web, mobile, backend, and data systems.
• Collaborate with leadership to co-design product vision and core AI primitives.
• Architect for speed and weekly iteration cycles rather than long-term release schedules.
• Develop voice capture, playback, and scene-based interaction frameworks.
• Hire, mentor, and set the engineering bar for a high-performing team.
• Ensure system quality, reliability, and security while maintaining a fast-paced shipping culture.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a builder of consumer-facing products.
• Ability to operate with high autonomy in ambiguous environments.
• Strong product taste with a focus on interaction design and user feel.
• Comfort with rapid tradeoffs and iterative development processes.
• Passion for voice technology, social behavior, and mission-driven products.
• Must be able to work onsite in New York.

Nice to have

• Experience with audio/voice pipelines and realtime systems.
• Background in creative tech or unconventional project building.
• Early adopter experience with AI-driven development.
• Deep interest in product psychology and social dynamics.

Culture & Benefits

• Direct partnership with world-class founders and AI industry leaders.
• High-impact role with potential for rapid career progression.
• Mission-oriented work focused on solving Gen Z loneliness.
• Fun, fast-paced startup environment that values product feel over bureaucracy.