Founding Engineer – SF Hackerhouse (Visa sponsored; $3M pre-seed)

About Clera

Clera is a fast-scaling AI startup that is changing how strong candidates discover and land roles they love. The company works with VC-backed startups such as Mintlify, Luminai, and Windsurf, many of them operating in AI. Its approach is centered on putting talent first, helping candidates connect with promising companies, receive guidance throughout the process, and ultimately get hired.

The team has recently closed a $3M pre-seed round and is expanding quickly. Thousands of talents engage with Clera every week, and many have already been matched with companies where they secured new roles. Clera is focused on transforming a large, traditional headhunting market with AI and building a company with meaningful scale.

The Opportunity

The company is hiring a Founding Engineer from the DACH region to join its San Francisco hacker house. The team will arrange travel, support visa sponsorship, and bring the hire directly into the center of the build environment. This is positioned as a rare chance for highly ambitious engineers in DACH to work side by side with the founding team in San Francisco and help shape the future of AI recruiting.

Role Overview

This position is centered on solving the technical challenge of automating headhunting workflows. The engineer will work directly with the CTO and co-founder Daniel, as well as the engineering team, and will be expected to move features into production on a daily basis. The role has direct influence over the development of a fully agentic system that automates the end-to-end recruiting process.

Tech Stack

The environment includes TypeScript, React, Cursor, Supabase, Prisma, Typesense, LLM APIs, and Trigger.dev.

Working Style in the SF Hacker House

• You will live and build together with a small founding team.
• The setup is designed for zero commute, faster feedback cycles, and stronger team bonding.
• The international team includes members who came from Germany, the US, Sweden, and France.
• The pace is described as intense, but also highly productive and enjoyable, with the team living and working from the same Airbnb.
• Support is available for visa-related processes.

What They’re Looking For

• A strong software engineering foundation, especially with TypeScript and React.
• Hands-on experience building with AI, including comfort working in Cursor; experience with LLM APIs is a plus.
• A startup-oriented mindset with strong initiative, resourcefulness, and a strong drive to create value.
• Someone who can own projects end to end, from idea to deployment, and do what is necessary to deliver.
• Someone who can move quickly, discard code when needed, and then shift to scalable, high-quality solutions at the right moment.
• A willingness to talk with customers and improve the product based on feedback.
• A strong work ethic and interest in building something new with major impact on how people find jobs.

Perks and Benefits

• Work with experienced founders and a team of high-performing builders.
• Receive real ownership with no micromanagement and ship directly to production every day.
• Work on technically demanding products as the marketplace scales.
• Travel support to San Francisco is provided.
• Visa sponsorship and visa process support are available.

Additional Information

This opportunity is specifically aimed at candidates from the DACH region. The company emphasizes that this is an early-stage moment with a live product, paying customers, and a strong team already in place, offering meaningful ownership to the person who joins.