Principal Software Engineer

Join to apply for the Principal Software Engineer role at CEF.AI
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We offer highly competitive compensation and founder‑level equity for this senior technical position. Your true remuneration will depend on your experience and skill set, so please discuss details with your recruiter.

$80,000.00/yr - $/yr

Are you excited by the opportunity to become a part of a badass team leading the AI‑first data revolution?

Do you thrive on solving hard problems (individually and collectively), yet remain humble and hungry to learn and grow within a team on your path to greatness?

Do you desire to become a part of a close‑knit pack led by SV startup veterans who can accelerate your growth 10X (compared to the corporate trajectory/culture)?

If you’ve answered "yes" to all three questions, we want to meet you!

You will play a critical role in designing and building our AI‑first data computing platform. This is not merely an execution role – we’re looking for a strategic thinker who can move with intent and translate ideas from concept to production with a balanced mix of technical depth and practical decision‑making.

You’ll work across the stack, applying modern technologies to develop performant, secure, and scalable systems, and help shape the foundation of a platform that powers real‑world AI applications at scale.

• Systems Architecture: Design, implement, and scale foundational backend systems and APIs that power decentralized, real‑time AI workflows.
• Developer
  
  Experience:
  
  Own the end‑to‑end developer journey by building SDKs, CLIs, and interfaces that make interacting with our platform easy.
• Cross‑Stack Execution: Rapidly prototype and productize features using tools like Cursor, React, and Type Script—without sacrificing quality or scale.
• Technical Leadership: Guide architectural decisions, lead design reviews, and mentor engineers in best practices for distributed, high‑performance systems.
• Collaboration: Partner with product, design, and leadership to align technical execution with company vision and user needs.
• Execution Ownership: Drive key projects from 0→1 with autonomy, accountability, and a strong bias for action.

• Experience: 4+ years in high‑performance software environments, with a proven track record of shipping complex systems end‑to‑end.
• Deep Technical Expertise: Mastery of one or more systems languages (Go, Rust, Kotlin, etc.) and strong backend engineering fundamentals.
• Architectural Fluency: Experience designing and scaling distributed systems with performance, reliability, and observability in mind.
• Quality & Testing: Strong discipline around testing, CI/CD, and long‑term maintainability (TDD preferred).
• Builder Mindset: Ability to turn ambiguity into architecture, and architecture into reliable, extensible code.
• Communication: Clear, concise communicator who can explain trade‑offs, write technical specs, and mentor junior engineers.
• Bonus: Experience with edge computing, Web3 protocols, real‑time data infra, or AI/ML‑powered systems.

• Competitive Compensation & Meaningful Equity: Founder‑level alignment because this is a founder‑level role.
• High‑Ownership Role: Directly shape our technical direction and long‑term stack architecture.
• Work with Top‑Tier Founders & Engineers: Collaborate daily with a deeply technical, mission‑driven leadership team.
• Build the Future of AI Infrastructure: We’re not optimizing yesterday’s workflows—we’re inventing tomorrow’s.
• Zero Bureaucracy, Maximum Autonomy: We stay lean, move fast, and trust you to lead.
• Remote‑First, In‑Person When It Counts: Distributed across SF and Europe, with monthly hackathons and off‑sites.

• Intro Call: A quick chat to align on expectations, interests, and team fit.
• Technical Deep Dive: Focused conversation with our Engineering Manager to explore your systems thinking and past work.
• CEO Interview: Strategic discussion around vision, mindset, and long‑term alignment.
• Reference Collection: We’ll speak with a few people you’ve worked closely with.
• Paid Trial (~5 Days): Short, real‑world engagement so we can see how we work together, happening in parallel with offer and terms discussion.

Join CEF.AI as a Principal Software Engineer to help design and deliver the future of privacy‑first, agentic AI. If you want to work on original systems that will define the next decade of compute, apply now.

Associate

Full‑time

Information Technology

Software Development