PP

Founding Engineer - Applied AI

Product Pulse H-1BOPT Information Technology Full-timeSan Francisco, CA
Posted Sep 10, 2026 · Expires Oct 6, 2026

Quick facts

Type
Full-time
Location
San Francisco, CA
Background
Bachelor's degree
Skills
PyTorch, Machine Learning
Industry
Information Technology — 674 open jobs
Visa in listing
H-1B, OPT
Apply
Free to apply — never pay anyone for a job offer or visa sponsorship

Job description

We’re a stealth startup building AI hardware for complex manufacturers. At the intersection of AI, hardware development, and policy, they accelerate innovation and safety in the physical world. This company partners with some of the world's most iconic automotive, aerospace, and industrial manufacturers.


Engineering Agent Workflows

Design and implement core workflows and infrastructure for hardware engineering agents, including intelligent context management, novel indexing approaches, and advanced data structures.


Design Data Interpretation

Build agents that can interpret, reason over, and manipulate complex engineering design data, integrating with enterprise-grade engineering tools and systems.


Direct Customer Collaboration

Work closely with customers and the engineering team to deliver AI-powered workflows that are reliable, intuitive, and trusted in production environments.

Move Fast, Learn Fast: Prototype rapidly, validate ideas with real users, and ship frequently. Help Shape the Company: Influence engineering culture, architectural decisions, and the product's future.


Our Culture

We are intentional with our time. We work hard on meaningful problems and protect our personal time, because working together is a privilege. We care deeply about our people, our customers, our product, and our craft. Success is defined by our customers' success and our team's professional growth. We want you to thrive, physically, mentally, and professionally, while solving some of the most meaningful and complex problems in the physical world.


About the Role

We’re hiring a world-class Applied AI Engineer to build the core systems behind their automation engine for hardware engineering. You will design, implement, and post-train AI agents that power critical product development workflows for global enterprise customers, working on novel AI systems that retrieve, interpret, and manipulate complex engineering design data, integrating deeply into real-world engineering environments. This is a deeply technical, high-impact role. You will be among the first technical hires and will own mission-critical systems end-to-end. The problems are ambiguous, the constraints are real, and the expectations are high. If you move fast from idea to production, care deeply about customer experience, and want to build foundational AI infrastructure for the world's most impactful industries, this role is for you.


Key Responsibilities

  • Design and implement core workflows and infrastructure for hardware engineering agents, including intelligent context management, novel indexing approaches, and post-training.
  • Build agents and ML models that can interpret, reason over, and manipulate complex engineering design data, integrating with enterprise-grade engineering tools and systems.
  • Work closely with customers and the engineering team to deliver AI-powered workflows that are reliable, intuitive, and trusted in production environments.
  • Prototype rapidly, validate ideas with real users, and ship frequently.
  • Influence engineering culture, architecture decisions, and the future of the product Requirements

Must-Have

  • Bachelor's or higher in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or equivalent experience
  • Strong familiarity with LLM architectures and agent research trends
  • Excellent programming skills with experience using ML libraries such as PyTorch, Hugging Face, and W&B. Experience building production ML or AI systems
  • Solid practical experience with search and information retrieval
  • Moves fast from idea to production, with a genuine care for customer experience
  • Based in or willing to relocate to San Francisco, or an exceptional remote candidate

Nice-to-Have

  • 2+ years in applied machine learning, backend engineering, or AI infrastructure. Experience working with machine learning over geometric data, including CAD
  • Track record of high-impact contributions or published papers at top-tier AI labs or teams

Benefits & Perks

  • Unlimited PTO
  • Full health insurance
  • Free lunch and dinner Company equipment provided

VISA SPONSORSHIP

H-1B, O-1, OPT


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Visa sponsorship record

No public sponsorship records found

We didn't find H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 or green card (PERM) filings under the name Product Pulse in the Department of Labor and USCIS data. That doesn't mean the job can't be sponsored — the company may file under a different legal name, be new to sponsorship, or sponsor a visa that isn't in these datasets (for example H-2B or J-1).

Tip: ask the recruiter early, in writing, which visa they sponsor and whether they cover the legal and filing fees.

Which visas can work for this job

Occupation: Software Developers (SOC 15-1252).

  • Mentioned in the listing

    H-1B, OPT

  • H-1B cap-exempt employer

    Regular cap-subject employer — a new H-1B needs to win the lottery in March (unless you already hold cap-counted H-1B status).

  • TN (citizens of Canada and Mexico)

    This kind of role may fit the USMCA profession “Computer Systems Analyst (or Engineer, for engineering-degree holders)” — it depends on the actual duties. No lottery, no cap; you need the matching degree or license.

  • E-3 (Australia) and H-1B1 (Chile, Singapore)

    Same degree requirement as H-1B, but no lottery and a separate quota that is rarely filled.

  • O-1 (extraordinary ability)

    For candidates with awards, publications, press, a high salary or critical roles at distinguished organizations. No cap, no lottery; the employer files a petition.

  • STEM OPT extension (F-1 students)

    Requires an E-Verify employer. We didn't find this company in the E-Verify list — ask HR.

Salary vs prevailing wage

Software Developers · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA. Annual prevailing wages set by the Department of Labor (OFLC).

L1L2L3L4
LevelPrevailing wageH-1B lottery odds*
Level I$137,093~15%
Level II$165,131~31%
Level III$193,149~46%
Level IV$221,187~61%

The listing has no salary, so we can't place it on a wage level. Ask the employer which wage level they'd file at: Level III–IV registrations get 3–4 entries in the H-1B lottery.

* Odds are DHS projections for the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery (actual results vary by year and employer). Since the FY2027 cap season the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage level: Level I = 1 entry, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4. The level is set by the offered wage against the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. Separately, a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions for workers outside the US was announced in 2025; as of September 2026 a federal court ruling keeps it unenforceable while appeals continue — check the current status.

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data (H-1B/H-1B1/E-3 LCA, PERM), OFLC prevailing wage data, USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, E-Verify participating employers. Data loaded: LCA FY2024–FY2026, PERM, USCIS Data Hub, OFLC wages; updated 2026-10-03. Employers are matched by name, so records of companies with similar names can occasionally be mixed up. This is general information, not legal advice — talk to an immigration attorney about your case.