Founding Product Engineer

Clera; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Clera is seeking a founding product engineer to join an early-stage AI startup transforming blueprint analysis for the construction industry. You’ll own features end-to-end, ship UI and backend work, and work directly with customers to move faster and reduce waste.

You’ll collaborate across the stack (React, Python) and shape product direction from discovery to production in a hands-on, customer-facing role. On-site in San Francisco with visa sponsorship not available.

Qualifications

• Experience building customer-facing software across the full stack.
• Comfort with React frontends and Python backends.

Responsibilities

• Own features from discovery to production and interview customers weekly.
• Build intuitive UIs that simplify blueprint and hardware data for non-specialist users.
• Contribute across the full stack: React frontend, Python backend, infra.

Skills

React

Python

Full stack

Customer focus

Product sense

Architecture

Job description

About The Role

This is a founding product engineering role at an early-stage AI startup transforming how the construction industry handles blueprint analysis, material takeoffs, and cost estimation. You'll sit on a small, impact-driven product team, owning features end-to-end and working directly with customers to ship software that helps builders move faster and with less waste.

What You’ll Do

• Own features from discovery to production — interview customers weekly and ship useful iterations quickly.
• Build intuitive UIs that make complex blueprint and hardware data approachable for users coming from paper-based workflows.
• Contribute across the full stack: React frontend, Python backend, and supporting infrastructure.
• Act as a 0-to-1 architect, taking raw ideas and turning them into production-ready products.
• Translate messy domain knowledge gathered from customers into clear, well-scoped product decisions.
• Shape product direction — not just implementation — bringing strong product taste to how things look, feel, and work.
• Handle the operational and "schlep" work that keeps a seed-stage team moving forward.

What We’re Looking For

• Demonstrated ability to build and ship software across the full stack — open to all experience levels, including new grads.
• Hands-on experience with React for customer-facing UIs and Python for backend services and infrastructure.
• Track record of owning features end-to-end with direct customer engagement.
• Comfort designing architecture and building products from scratch (0-to-1 experience a strong plus).
• Strong product taste and user-focused design sensibility.
• Excellent communication skills, empathy, and a growth mindset.
• Bonus: previously built and shipped something customers used or paid for (founder or early-startup background).
• Bonus: familiarity with construction, blueprints, or related domain knowledge.
• Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship and able to work on-site in San Francisco.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $120,000 – $180,000 USD annually. Equity participation expected at this stage. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Location

On-site in San Francisco, CA. Relocation welcome; in-office presence is required.