Founding Engineer (Python / Next.js)

Job description

🏔️ ABOUT SIERRA STUDIO Sierra Studio is an innovative product development firm dedicated to empowering founders and business leaders in their quest to create impactful, meaningful products. Our team of experienced professionals is committed to delivering high-quality solutions that drive business growth. We prioritize a culture of good vibes, open communication, and continuous learning, providing our team members with the opportunities and resources they need to thrive. This role is with one of the teams we help build through our staffing partnerships. When you apply, Sierra manages the hiring process, but you'll be hired directly by and work within the client company. 🏢 ABOUT THE COMPANY You will be embedded at a pre-launch B2B SaaS startup building technology tools to modernize supply chain operations for consumer goods manufacturers — an industry still largely run on pen-and-paper and spreadsheets. The founder spent 6 years building 5 consumer goods brands and is building this product to solve the manufacturer pain points identified firsthand. The first product is a production run management and communication platform, giving brands real-time visibility into their manufacturing runs, with a broader roadmap already mapped out. The company is pre-revenue with soft-committed design partners lined up to test the MVP at launch. The founder is hands-on, highly organized, and detail-oriented — looking for a true technical partner, not just an engineer who executes tickets. You would be the company's first technical hire, working side by side with the founder daily. 🖼️ ABOUT THE ROLE As Founding Engineer, you will be the company's technical co-pilot — a full-stack role spanning front-end, back-end, and architecture. You'll start by auditing the product work already underway, then take ownership of it end to end: deciding how it's built, how it scales, and how the engineering team operates as it grows. 🔨 WHAT YOU'LL DO - Audit, improve, and take full ownership of the product's existing codebase and architecture. - Build and ship features end-to-end using Python, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, Alembic, WebSockets, and Next.js, making decisions across the entire stack. - Design and evolve the database schema, writing and maintaining Alembic migrations alongside SQLAlchemy models. - Build and maintain real-time features using WebSockets where appropriate. - Own infrastructure and deployment workflows on Railway, ensuring the platform remains reliable and scalable. - Write and maintain unit and integration tests to ensure the reliability and long-term maintainability of the product. - Work hand-in-hand with the founder daily, translating vision into shipped product. - Set technical direction and engineering best practices as the team's first engineer — your standards become the team's standards. - Collaborate with and mentor other developers as the engineering team grows. 🔎 WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - 5–6 years of full-stack software engineering experience, with strong system architecture knowledge across front-end and back-end. - Strong professional experience with Python, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, Alembic, WebSockets, and modern React frameworks such as Next.js. - Strong SQL skills and hands-on experience designing, querying, and optimizing PostgreSQL databases. - Experience designing relational databases and managing schema changes through Alembic migrations. - Experience building or maintaining real-time applications using WebSockets. - Proven experience writing and maintaining unit and integration tests, with a focus on building reliable, well-tested software. - Experience deploying and operating applications in cloud environments (experience with Railway is a plus). - Basic knowledge of AI/LLM technologies (e.g., OpenAI APIs, prompt engineering, retrieval, or AI-powered product features) is a plus, as we'll be building AI capabilities into the product over time. - Founder mindset — someone who challenges ideas, proposes better solutions, and takes ownership rather than simply executing tickets. - Experience building products from 0 to 1 in startup environments, comfortable moving quickly and wearing multiple hats. - Organized, proactive, and highly logical communicator. - Strong written and verbal English for daily collaboration with the founder. Bonus skills: - Personal projects or side builds that show initiative and range. - Regular use of AI tools in day-to-day engineering work. 🤝 WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR This is a founding hire, so cultural fit matters as much as technical skill. We're looking for someone hyper-collaborative and clear in communication, comfortable working closely — in person — with a very hands-on, detail-oriented founder. You take initiative and ownership rather than waiting to be told what to do, and you're energized by building something from zero rather than maintaining something established. Location: remote, based in Brazil. Expect a hybrid rhythm for some time in the early months — the founder will be making frequent trips to Brazil to work alongside you in person as the product and team take shape. 📋 HIRING PROCESS - 1. Initial screening - 2. Pair coding session - 3. Technical interview - 4. Executive interview Compensation: $6,000–$8,000 USD/month + an equity grant (share count and fully diluted total shared during the process). 💡 WHY JOIN US? This is a rare opportunity to be the founding engineer of a company from day one — real ownership over architecture, product, and team culture starting with the very first hire. You'll be part of Sierra Studio's talent network, with access to continuous learning and a strong community of engineers, while working directly inside a founder-led startup at its earliest, highest-impact stage.