Clera is a talent-matching platform that replaces traditional job applications by connecting candidates and hiring teams through curated introductions.
ABOUT THE ROLE An early-stage, AI-native B2B SaaS startup in the procurement technology space is looking for a Founding Engineer to join the team in Berlin. The company is building an AI-first supply chain platform that connects category managers to real-time supplier data and enterprise systems — and is already working closely with real customers. As a founding engineer, you'll own core product areas end-to-end, influence architecture and engineering culture from day one, and ship iteratively with direct customer feedback. This is a rare opportunity to shape a product, a team, and a technical culture at the very beginning. ⚠️ Visa sponsorship is not available. Candidates must be eligible to work in Germany without employer sponsorship. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own core product areas end-to-end — from AI agent orchestration to the category manager-facing UI. - Design reliable LLM workflows with evaluation loops, guardrails, and observability built for production. - Build real-time supplier data pipelines, normalization layers, and integrations with enterprise ERP systems. - Ship to production daily and collaborate directly with customers to iterate based on real feedback. - Make architectural decisions across the full stack with a focus on performance, security, and developer experience. - Define engineering culture, tooling, and processes as the team grows. - Contribute to the product roadmap and work closely with the founding team on major technical decisions. - Mentor teammates and grow into an engineering leadership role as the company scales. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Required: - Strong full-stack foundation — comfortable with front-ends, back-ends, and the seam between them. - Proficiency in TypeScript (front-end and back-end) and Python; experience with Next.js and modern APIs. - Hands-on experience building SaaS products end-to-end in a startup environment. - Proven experience designing and operating AI/LLM infrastructure: retrieval, embeddings, evaluation loops, monitoring, and safety guardrails. - Experience building data pipelines, normalization, and integrations with enterprise systems. - Domain knowledge in ERP, procurement, or related enterprise software. - Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable working directly with customers and cross-functional teams. - Builder mindset — you default to shipping, learning from users, and iterating fast. - Comfortable with ambiguity; able to define what to build as well as how to build it. Nice to have: - Hands-on experience with procurement or supply chain domain specifics (e.g. sourcing, spend analysis, contract management). - Prior experience as a founding or very early engineer at a startup. - Appetite for engineering leadership and mentorship as the team grows. LOCATION - Berlin, Germany — on-site - Must be eligible to work in Germany without employer visa sponsorship.