Founding Software Engineer #1

Dalus; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Dalus is seeking a Founding Software Engineer #1 to join its team in San Francisco. You will play a pivotal role in building AI-powered software for complex hardware systems. This position offers the opportunity for significant impact, ownership, and a chance to work across the tech stack, from frontend to backend. The ideal candidate should be passionate about system design, willing to engage with challenging problems, and have a strong grasp of UX principles.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering or related fields.
• Strong background in product development across the tech stack.
• Experience with collaboration in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own major product features from conception to production.
• Work closely with customers to identify and solve pain points.
• Contribute to shaping the architecture and engineering culture.

Skills

Product intuition

User experience (UX)

Systems engineering

AI workflows

Tools

Node.js

Python

Next.js

React

AWS

Typescript

Job description

Join to apply for the Founding Software Engineer #1 role at Dalus

Join to apply for the Founding Software Engineer #1 role at Dalus

This range is provided by Dalus. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$140,000.00/yr - $200,000.00/yr

Why Dalus Exists

At Dalus, we're building AI-powered software to reimagine how complex hardware systems are designed — think rockets, satellites, EVs, aircraft, nuclear plants.

Right now, companies building these systems are held back by legacy tools that were never built for today’s fast-paced engineering teams. We’re changing that. Our platform makes hardware development faster, safer, and more scalable, even with smaller teams.

We believe that designing atoms should feel more like working with bits — and that the next industrial renaissance needs better software.

More on our vision here

About The Role

We’re looking for Founding Engineer #1 — someone who wants to go deep, build fast, and shape the future of our product and team. You’ll be working across the entire stack (frontend, backend, AI, systems modeling) and helping us deliver real value to some of the most advanced hardware companies in the world.

You’ll Thrive In This Role If You

• Love wearing multiple hats and learning new things fast
• Have strong product intuition and care about UX
• Are excited to build the future of complex system design, not just work on it
• Don’t mind getting your hands dirty with hard problems (and hard schedules)
  
  

Our Stack

• Frontend: Next.js, Typescript, React
• Backend: Node.js, Python (for simulation/AI), AWS
• AI: Different LLMs, Langfuse, agent tooling workflows
  
  

Who We Are

We started Dalus in 2024.

• Eliot was a test/systems engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris), where he saw firsthand how siloed communication slowed down hardware teams.
• Sebastian previously founded a neurotech hardware startup and scaled a software company to exit.
  
  

We just wrapped up YC W25, have revenue, and are working closely with aerospace, robotics, and defense customers

What You’ll Do

• Own major product features from idea to production
• Work directly with customers to understand pain points
• Help shape the architecture and engineering culture
• Get hands-on with AI workflows, model interfaces, and simulations
• Scale the platform to support real-world, high-stakes use cases
  
  

We won’t sugarcoat it — this will likely be the hardest you’ve ever worked. We move fast. We work late. We build on weekends.

But if that energizes you rather than scares you — you’ll probably grow more here in 1 year than in 5 anywhere else.

This role comes with significant ownership, learning, and impact. You’ll help define not just the product, but the company itself.

Nice to Have

• Experience with systems engineering, aerospace, manufacturing, or industrial software
• Interest in simulation, modeling tools, or AI workflows
• Past startup experience or personal projects that went deep
  
  

If there appears to be a fit, we'll reach to schedule 2-3 short technicals. The final step is an onsite in our office, where you'll work on a small project, discuss ideas, and meet the team.

Base Salary: $140k-$200k

Shares: 0.5-2.5%

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Not Applicable

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Software Development

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