Founding Engineer (Full-Stack / Artificial Intelligence)

About the Role

Join an innovative early-stage logistics technology startup as a Founding Engineer, focused on developing an AI platform aimed at automating global freight forwarding. As one of the initial engineering hires, you will take ownership of vital architectural decisions, deliver end-to-end full-stack features, and push the limits of practical AI applications in a live setting, working closely with the founding team in Munich.

This opportunity offers high responsibility and significant impact, ideal for those with a founder mindset who thrive in ambiguous situations and want to shape a company’s technical foundations from the outset.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, creation, and upkeep of essential core product components.
• Develop scalable and dependable full-stack features that dramatically enhance user efficiency.
• Assess and optimize AI and machine learning capabilities to maximize domain-specific accuracy and context.
• Continuously test new AI model versions, frameworks, and autonomous techniques in production environments.
• Deliver new solutions quickly while iterating based on empirical data and actual user feedback.
• Maintain and improve complex legacy codebases to increase modularity and scalability.
• Develop infrastructure and automation pipelines tailored to heavy data processing and AI workloads.
• Collaborate actively as a hands-on team member with the founders and other engineers.

Candidate Requirements

• 2 to 3+ years of software engineering experience; exceptional personal projects or entrepreneurial experience may also be considered.
• Strong expertise in Python, with Go language experience viewed favorably.
• Proficient full-stack development skills with fluency across backend and cloud platforms.
• Direct production experience working with AI/ML systems, including benchmarking, fine-tuning, integrating large language models, and conducting live experiments.
• Proven ability to architect and maintain scalable, clean, and production-quality systems.
• Track record of end-to-end ownership of features from conception through deployment.
• Experience building cloud-native systems emphasizing scalability, reliability, and observability.
• Solid computer science fundamentals, intellectual humility, and self-motivated work ethic.
• Entrepreneurial drive and adaptability combined with a results-focused and autonomous approach.
• Residing in or willing to relocate to Munich for on-site work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous involvement in startups or founding ventures.
• Interest or experience in logistics, freight forwarding, or autonomous system technologies.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual salary range between €60,000 and €80,000.
• Equity opportunities including an early employee stock option package of up to approximately 1.5%.
• Chance to shape the technical direction of a product with a growing market presence.

Additional Information

This position does not offer visa sponsorship. Candidates need to be able to commute to or relocate within Munich, Bavaria, Germany for this fully on-site role.