Founding Engineer | AI OS for Leaders (Gov + Enterprise) | $150k-$180k | SF

About the job

This role is being recruited by CoffeeSpace on behalf of Chief AI – an early-stage startup building the AI command center for the world’s leaders.

We’re identifying a small number of exceptional engineers from our network. If there’s a strong fit, we’ll introduce you directly to the founding team.

Founding Engineer
Location: San Francisco (on-site)
Compensation: $150k–$180k + meaningful equity
Employment type: Full-time

About Chief AI

Chief AI is building the AI-native operating system for leadership.

They work with executive teams across government and enterprise — helping leaders manage time, relationships, and strategy in one place.

Think:

• Linear for product teams
• Salesforce for sales teams
• Chief AI for executive offices

Early traction:

• Launched at SXSW, featured in Axios
• Deployed with executive teams (including the Mayor of Denver’s office)
• Actively used by leaders across government and enterprise

Founded by Shannon Beckham (Stanford GSB, White House, Congress, Together AI). Backed by top VCs and part of StartX. Based in-person in San Francisco.

The role

You’ll build the AI-native system that powers how leaders operate.

Working directly with the founder, you’ll:

• Ship product end-to-end (frontend, backend, AI, infra)
• Design agentic workflows for real‑world executive use
• Turn messy, high‑context inputs into structured reasoning and decisions
• Work closely with customers (CEOs, public sector leaders, exec teams)

This is a true 0→1 founding role – high ambiguity, high ownership, fast iteration.

What this requires

• 4+ years shipping production‑grade products (full‑stack)
• Strong Python, TypeScript, React
• Experience building AI‑native features (LLMs, agents, RAG, embeddings)
• Comfort using AI across your dev workflow (build, test, iterate)
• Product‑driven, customer‑obsessed mindset
• Ability to operate in fast‑moving, ambiguous environments

Note: Must be a US citizen (security clearance eligibility)

Nice to have

• Early‑stage (0→1) startup experience
• Experience in government or regulated environments

What success looks like

Within months:

• Core agent workflows used daily by executive teams
• AI systems powering briefings, decisions, and relationships
• Tight feedback loops with real users shaping product direction

Why this role

Most AI tools optimize workflows. This builds how decisions get made at the highest levels.

Your work will directly impact:

• How leaders spend their time
• How decisions are made
• How organizations operate

If you want ownership, speed, and real‑world impact at the highest leverage layer, this is that kind of role.

Next steps

• Apply via this LinkedIn job post
• We’ll review and reach out if there’s a strong match
• If aligned, we’ll introduce you directly to the Chief AI team

If this role isn’t the right fit, we may suggest and make introductions to other high‑signal startup roles we’re recruiting for – always with your permission.

A quick note on authenticity

This is a real, active role that CoffeeSpace is recruiting for on behalf of Chief AI. We don’t post speculative roles and work directly with hiring teams.