Founding Product Engineer

About the role

About the Role A fast-growing, Y Combinator–backed AI marketing SaaS startup is hiring its first engineer on the ground in Munich . As a Founding Product Engineer, you will own full product features end to end — from understanding customer problems through to shipping and iterating until real value is delivered. You'll work directly alongside the founders and customers, helping shape both the product and the engineering culture from day one. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role at an early-stage company operating at the intersection of AI, search, and marketing technology. The company builds tools that help brands understand and improve how AI platforms — such as large language model–powered search engines and content generators — discuss and surface their products. What You'll Do Take full ownership of product features from ideation through design, implementation, and post-launch iteration. Work across the full stack: frontend interfaces, backend systems, LLM pipelines, and data infrastructure. Engage directly with customers to understand their needs and translate insights into product improvements. Collaborate closely with the founding team to define what to build and why. Contribute to core product areas including AI monitoring, analytics, and AI-driven content workflows. Help establish engineering best practices and set the foundation for a growing technical team. What We're Looking For 2–4 years of professional software engineering experience. Comfortable working across the full stack — frontend, backend, and data. Hands-on experience with or strong interest in LLM pipelines and AI-powered product features. Strong product instincts: you think about user impact, not just implementation. Ability to move fast, operate with ambiguity, and take initiative without waiting for direction. Excellent communication skills — you're comfortable talking to customers and collaborating with non-technical teammates. Prior experience at an early-stage startup or in a founding engineer role is a plus. Nice to have: Familiarity with SEO, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), or marketing analytics tools. Experience building data pipelines or working with web crawling / scraping systems. Exposure to CMS integrations or content automation workflows. Compensation & Benefits Salary: $85,000 – $120,000 USD annually Visa sponsorship is available Opportunity to join as a foundational team member at a well-backed early-stage company with significant scope for career growth Location This role is on-site in Munich, Germany . Candidates based in or willing to relocate to Munich are strongly preferred. The company is also open to candidates located in Berlin or Hamburg .