Founding Software Engineer
clera · Munich · onsite
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is a founding engineering role at an early-stage AI/ML infrastructure company building software that connects AI agents to real-world laboratory systems. You will own critical infrastructure across experiment orchestration, agent connectivity, and distributed coordination, working at the intersection of software, robotics, and physical systems.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Build experiment orchestration systems that schedule and coordinate experiments across distributed labs.
- Connect AI agents to real-world experiments and instruments through robust agent infrastructure.
- Design and implement data infrastructure to capture state, actions, measurements, failures, and provenance.
- Architect distributed systems that reliably coordinate software, devices, and experiments at scale.
- Develop developer tooling and APIs to accelerate new workflows and integrations.
- Debug and optimize across the full stack, from software to hardware to physical systems.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- 3 or more years building complex, production-grade software systems end-to-end.
- Strong proficiency in Rust or TypeScript (Python experience is also valued).
- Deep understanding of distributed systems, APIs, networking, and asynchronous programming.
- Experience designing and implementing systems with asynchronous communication patterns.
- Prior experience as an engineer at an early-stage startup, with high agency in ambiguous environments.
- Comfort bridging physical systems and software, with the ability to debug across the full stack.
- Experience with robotics, hardware integration, lab automation, embedded systems, or ML infrastructure is a strong plus.
- Experience building developer tooling, SDKs, or APIs for integration workflows is a plus.
- No biology background required.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Salary range: $100,000 to $200,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
LOCATION
On-site or hybrid in Munich, Germany (primary location), Zurich, Switzerland, or San Francisco, United States.