Founding Engineer

Sierra Studio, LLC

Job Overview

Location

Brazil (Remote)

Job Type

Full-time

Full Job Description

📋 Description

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

🎯 Requirements

• 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).
• 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.

🏖️ Benefits

• Compensation: $6,000–$8,000 USD/month + ~1% equity.
• 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.
• Part of Sierra Studio's talent network, with access to continuous learning and a strong community of engineers.
• Work directly inside a founder-led startup at its earliest, highest-impact stage.

Skills & Technologies

Python

JavaScript

React

Next.js

FastAPI

Remote

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Sierra Studio, LLC

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About Sierra Studio, LLC

Los Angeles-based Sierra Studio is a boutique architecture and interior design firm founded in 2016. The company specializes in custom residential, hospitality, and commercial projects across California and the western United States, delivering modern, environmentally responsive design. Its small team of licensed architects and interior designers manages projects from initial concept through construction administration, emphasizing clean aesthetics, natural materials, and client collaboration. Services include architectural design, interior design, planning approvals, and construction oversight for ground-up builds, renovations, and adaptive re-use developments.

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