Founding Software Engineer (LA defense manufacturing startup)

Jack; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation help available

Founding equity

Job summary

Jack is seeking a Founding Software Engineer in Los Angeles to build the software that runs a serious composite parts factory. You’ll work alongside hardware and automation engineers, own end-to-end delivery, and avoid queues or tickets.

The role centers on ownership, fast iteration, and high impact, with a TypeScript frontend and Python or Go backend. On-site 5 days a week in LA, with relocation support and meaningful founding equity.

Qualifications

• 2+ years shipping production full-stack products (TypeScript frontend, Python or Go backend)
• Real time at a high-bar startup or scale-up
• You decided what to build and owned the numbers, instead of just closing tickets
• Side projects you're proud of
• Bonus: manufacturing, hardware, robotics, CAD, geometry or simulation

Responsibilities

• Own the factory OS: supply chain, quoting, pricing and inventory from raw material to finished part
• Build a simulation layer that trains models on factory-floor data to predict part behavior
• Develop factory automation software: live equipment telemetry, robotics orchestration and a digital twin of the line
• Create the data model behind the system mirroring the physical factory

Skills

Full-stack development

Ownership

Real-time systems

Technical decision making

Tools

TypeScript

Python

Go

Job description

We're recruiting a Founding Software Engineer for a seed-stage LA startup that makes advanced composite parts for defense and aerospace. They're building a real factory, and they need someone to build the software that runs it.

You'd work next to hardware and automation engineers. No ticket queue, no PM, no QA. You figure out what matters, build it end to end and ship.

What you'd own:

• The factory operating system: supply chain, quoting, pricing and inventory, from raw material to finished part
• A simulation layer that trains models on factory-floor data to predict how parts behave
• Factory automation software: live equipment telemetry, robotics orchestration and a digital twin of the line
• The data model behind all of it, built to mirror the physical factory

Stack:

TypeScript monorepo, Python or Go on the backend.

You're probably a fit if you have:

• 2+ years shipping production full-stack products (TypeScript frontend, Python or Go backend)
• Real time at a high-bar startup or scale-up. Think Anduril, Palantir, Ramp or Stripe caliber.
• You decided what to build and owned the numbers, instead of just closing tickets
• Side projects you're proud of
• Bonus: manufacturing, hardware, robotics, CAD, geometry or simulation

Who this isn't for:

• Big tech or large public company only. They've been clear it doesn't count here.
• Low-level systems engineers with no full-stack work
• Anyone who can't be on-site 5 days a week in LA

Pay:

$140K to $200K base plus meaningful founding equity. Relocation help available.

Work authorization:

this is an ITAR role, so you need to be a US citizen or green card holder (Canadian and UK citizens may be considered). No visa sponsorship.