Founding Lead Engineer

Serv Technologies; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Serv Technologies is seeking a Founding Lead Engineer to own day-to-day technical leadership and execution during a critical growth phase. You will work directly with the founders to strengthen the platform, lead deployments, and establish a scalable technical foundation.

You will influence architecture, product direction, and the engineering culture while helping recruit and grow the team and ensuring alignment with customer needs in the real world.

Qualifications

• Own production systems and delivery of critical software.
• Lead technical projects and small teams in an early-stage company.
• Strong backend/cloud/distributed systems expertise and architectural judgment.
• Comfort working in a fast-evolving startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day engineering execution across software, cloud, edge, and deployment systems.
• Guide system architecture as pilots scale to deployments.
• Lead integrations with restaurant technology systems (POS, loyalty, etc.).
• Translate restaurant operational needs into technical solutions.
• Mentor engineers and future hires; help build engineering org.

Skills

Backend engineering

Cloud infrastructure

Distributed systems

Data platforms

Platform engineering

Technical leadership

Ownership

Job description

Serv is building the memory layer for the drive-thru. With multiple national restaurant pilots in motion, we are now building the team and infrastructure required to scale.

We are looking for aFounding Lead Engineerto join our team and take ownership of day-to-day technical leadership and execution during a critical stage of the company’s growth.

About the Role

This is a hands‑on technical leadership role for someone who wants to build, not simply manage.

You will work directly with Serv’s founders and engineering team to strengthen our platform, lead customer deployments, establish the technical foundation for scale, and help build the engineering organization from the ground up.

You will have meaningful influence over our architecture, product direction, hiring, and engineering culture.

What You’ll Do

• Own day-to-day engineering execution across our software, cloud, edge, and deployment systems
• Guide system architecture as we move from early pilots to larger‑scale deployments
• Lead integrations with restaurant technology systems, including POS, loyalty, and other customer platforms
• Work closely with restaurant partners to translate real‑world operational needsto technical solutions
• Manage and mentor current engineers, interns, and future technical hires
• Help recruit and build the next phase of Serv’s engineering organization

What We’re Looking For

• 3+ years of full‑time software engineering experience, including ownership of production systems
• Experience leading technical projects, small teams, or engineering execution within an early‑stage company
• Strong experience in backend engineering, cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, data, or platform engineering
• Comfort operating in an early‑stage environment where priorities evolve quickly
• Strong technical judgment, communication skills, and sense of ownership
• An interest in working closely with customers and solving operational problems in the physical world

Experience with computer vision, edge computing, embedded systems, restaurant technology, or POS integrations is valuable but not required.

Why Serv

Serv is at an inflection point. We recently closed our first round of funding, have multiple pilots underway with national restaurant brands, and are seeing growing demand from operators. This role offers the opportunity to join early, take real ownership over the technical direction of the company, and help build the systems and team required to scale. The position also includes meaningful equity and the opportunity to build substantial long‑term ownership in Serv.

Compensation

This role includes a competitive salary and significant equity ownership, with the final package based on experience, fit, and scope of responsibility.