Founding engineer

Voice Cursor; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering technology company in San Francisco is seeking a Founding Engineer to develop innovative voice-first technologies. In this full-time, on-site role, you will shape the technical foundation by designing, developing, and scaling systems that enhance Human-Computer Interaction. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in core systems engineering and OS-level APIs, with a passion for tackling complex technical challenges. This role offers a competitive salary range from $100,000 to $200,000.

Qualifications

• Strong expertise in core systems engineering impacting latency and reliability.
• Experience with OS-level APIs across multiple platforms.
• Ability to balance technical optimization with product-driven execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of real-time perception capabilities.
• Design and optimize backend systems for real-time audio streaming.
• Rapidly implement core updates and improve system reliability.
• Collaborate with Product Engineering on API-first designs.
• Establish automated testing and benchmarking for AI coding tools.

Skills

Core systems engineering

OS-level APIs

Technical optimization

Human-Computer Interaction

Job description

Voice Cursor is transforming how we interact with technology by introducing a voice-first alternative to traditional typing. Designed as a lightning-fast, native voice input tool, it enables users to seamlessly speak across all applications, understanding context and adapting to workflows naturally. By eliminating the bottlenecks of typing, Voice Cursor empowers users to save 10-15 hours per week and work "at the speed of thought." Our mission is to revolutionize human-computer interaction, building the future of productivity through intuitive voice-driven interfaces. Join us as we create cutting-edge AI technology at the forefront of innovation. Learn more at voicecursor.ai.

Role Description

This is a full-time, on-site role based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a Founding Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the technical foundation of Voice Cursor. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include designing, developing, and scaling cutting-edge voice-first technologies, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and experimenting with new ideas to enhance human-computer interaction. You will lead the implementation of innovative AI-powered systems, optimize performance, and play a key role in defining the product roadmap.

In this Role you will:

• Lead Context & Perception Engineering: Develop and refine VoiceCursor's real-time perception capabilities. You will build systems that securely read operating system states, accessibility trees, semantic structures, and visual surfaces, so our AI understands exactly what the user is looking at.
• Own the Core Infrastructure: Design, build, and optimize the backend systems and low-level client logic that handles real-time audio streaming, LLM orchestration, and action execution.
• Rapidly ship core updates based on real-world telemetry and performance data, treating latency and system reliability as your primary metrics for success.
• Engineer how we scale by continuously stripping away unnecessary architectural friction and building highly resilient, modular technical foundations, empowering the whole team to deploy at breakneck speed.
• Partner with the Product Engineering team to design flexible, API-first contracts, ensuring new AI capabilities and contextual features can be plugged into the user interface seamlessly.
• Establish robust automated testing and benchmarking guardrails that allow us to leverage AI coding tools to safely accelerate our core development loops without risking regressions in performance or security.

you might thrive in this role if you:

• Have strong expertise in core systems engineering, with a deep understanding of how low-level technical decisions impact overall latency and reliability.
• Have experience with, or a strong desire to master, OS-level APIs (Accessibility APIs, window management, audio drivers) across macOS, Windows, iOS, or Android.
• Possess the hybrid mindset of a builder: You care deeply about making something people actually want, balancing hardcore technical optimization with pragmatic, product-driven execution.
• Are passionate about the future of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and are excited to tackle the incredibly complex technical challenge of giving AI real-time, zero-friction context.
• Are a former founder or have a history of attempting to build and launch your own products from scratch (this entrepreneurial DNA is a massive plus).

Compensation:

• Cash: $100,000 – $200,000

Interview Process:

• Hiring Manager Interview (50 min): A deep dive into your professional experience, problem-solving methodology, and team collaboration style.
• Onsite Interview(3-4 hours): includes a detailed product walkthrough, discussions on cross-functional collaboration, and a final session with the founding team.