Co-Founder & CTO

About the company

Clera is a talent-matching platform that replaces traditional job applications by connecting candidates and hiring teams through curated introductions.

About this role

ABOUT THE ROLE A pre-seed AI creative platform — connecting creators who produce video ads with brands — is seeking an exceptional technical leader to join as an equal Co-Founder and CTO. The company is backed by experienced founders and operators with deep roots in consumer tech, gaming, and venture, and has already achieved meaningful early traction with thousands of creators producing content for recognizable brand partners. The mission: build individualized AI that understands human taste and enables a true creative democracy. The flywheel is already running — and the incoming technical co-founder will decide how it evolves. This is not a conventional CTO hire. You will not be executing someone else's roadmap. Several of the most consequential architectural and product decisions are deliberately still open, waiting for the right person to own them. You will have real authority, meaningful equity, and genuine co-founder standing from day one. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Define and own the full technical and AI research agenda for the company - Architect and ship AI-powered product features in a fast-moving, early-stage environment - Build and lead a technically strong engineering and research team as the company scales - Make independent architectural and strategic decisions without a predefined roadmap - Partner with your co-founder(s) as a true equal to set company direction, culture, and priorities - Operate with a high-ownership, high-output mindset — full-time, 6–7 days per week WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Required - Proven track record leading AI research, product development, and building technically strong teams - Hands-on experience building and shipping AI-powered products at early-stage startups (pre-seed or seed stage) - Comfort operating with ambiguity and making high-stakes decisions independently - Full-time availability and willingness to commit at a co-founder intensity level (6–7 days per week) - Ability and willingness to work onsite in San Francisco (relocation required if not already local) - Eligible to work in the United States without company visa sponsorship Nice to Have - Experience in creator economy, adtech, or generative media - Background in generative AI, computer vision, or recommendation/personalization systems - Prior co-founder or very early (0-to-1) startup experience COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Equity: ~28% equal co-founder equity - Salary to be discussed — structured to reflect co-founder standing at a pre-seed stage company - No visa sponsorship available LOCATION This role is fully on-site in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be willing to relocate if not already based there. Remote or hybrid arrangements are not available for this position.