Software Engineer (AI / Full Stack)

Payna; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits + 401k

Job summary

Payna is seeking a hands-on Software Engineer in San Francisco to design and scale its AI-native licensing platform. This is a full-time, on-site role collaborating directly with the founders and taking real ownership. You’ll build scalable LLM pipelines and core APIs to serve fintech customers.

You’ll model multi‑jurisdiction data, ship an MCP server, and own features end to end—from data ingestion to production deployment—in a fast-growing startup environment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of software engineering experience across backend and frontend.
• Experience building with LLMs in production.
• Strong data modeling and system design skills.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, AWS preferred.
• Willingness to work on any part of the business and long-term commitment.

Responsibilities

• Designing LLM pipelines that turn messy regulatory documents into structured data
• Shipping APIs and an MCP server that fintech and enterprise customers plug into
• Modeling complex entity and ownership data across 50+ jurisdictions
• Owning features end to end, from customer conversation to production
• Helping shape the technical foundation and direction of the company

Skills

Software engineering

LLM in production

Data modeling

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS

Job description

Payna (YC W26) is the AI-native compliance platform that automates regulatory licensing for the mortgage, lending, and insurance industries. Getting licensed to move money in the US means dealing with up to 50 state regulators, each with its own forms, portals, and rules, and it usually takes 12 to 18 months of consultants and spreadsheets. Payna automates the full licensing lifecycle: NMLS filings, license applications, renewals, amendments, call reports, etc.

Our core thesis is that compliance should run like infrastructure, not paperwork. We pull structured data from state regulators, map every entity and control person into a single source of truth, and use agentic automation to file directly with regulators. When a rule changes in one state, it updates across every customer it affects.

Role Description:

This is a full-time, on-site role for a Software Engineer based in San Francisco, CA. Please don't apply if you're just looking for any job. We want scrappy, motivated engineers who are excited about startups and want real ownership.

You’ll work directly with the founders to design, build, and scale the core Payna platform.

Responsibilities include:

• Designing LLM pipelines that turn messy regulatory documents into structured data
• Shipping APIs and an MCP server that fintech and enterprise customers plug into
• Modeling complex entity and ownership data across 50+ jurisdictions
• Owning features end to end, from customer conversation to production

You’ll play a key role in shaping the technical foundation and direction of the company.

Compensation:

• Base: $130,000 to $200,000
• 0.25% to 1% equity
• Benefits + 401k

Qualifications:

• 2+ years of software engineering experience (big tech, startup, or ex-founder preferred), across backend and frontend
• Experience building with LLMs in production, and opinions on when not to use them
• Strong data modeling and system design skills
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS preferred)
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills
• Interest in fintech, compliance, or financial infrastructure (bonus if you've worked in fintech or crypto)
• Willingness to work on any part of the business, and a long-term commitment to the problem
• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience