Founding Principal Engineer
- Location
- New York
- Workplace
- Hybrid
- Compensation
- $200k – $250k + equity
About this role
We are looking for a Founding Principal Engineer with 6+ years of experience at Handspring Health, who will be working directly alongside the CEO to set the technical foundation for a pediatric mental health platform that's rebuilding care from the ground up. You'll be a product-minded, hands-on builder who thrives in early-stage environments and takes ownership of complex consumer products in a regulated space. We just raised our Series B and are replacing our offshore team with a small, exceptional in-house engineering org, and you'll be the one to define how it's built.
What will you be doing?
Writing production code on the hardest problems while owning architecture across telehealth, EHR, patient dashboard, and AI adoption
Working directly with the CEO to translate clinical, growth, and operations needs into technical plans: making independent product decisions without detailed PRDs
Leading and transitioning the offshore engineering team while establishing engineering standards, code review, and quality practices
Driving AI adoption across the organization to accelerate the product roadmap
Laying the groundwork for a small, high-caliber onshore engineering team over the next 6–12 months
What happens next
Skip the application pile. I get you in front of the people who decide.
Confirm the fit
A few questions to make sure this role is the right shape for you. Two minutes.
I pitch you to the company
I write the intro, send it to the founder, and handle the back-and-forth.
A meeting lands on your calendar
When the company wants to meet, I get the call on your calendar. You just show up.
Culture & values
Small, tight-knit engineering team of 2-3 exceptional onshore engineers working directly with the CEO
Engineers make product decisions autonomously and move fast with AI tooling
Not a large engineering org with layers of management; founding team environment
Engineers sit beside leadership and own technical direction end-to-end
Team values product thinking, user empathy, and shipping with care
Strong in-person culture with 3+ days/week in office at Union Square, NYC
Team is looking for engineers energized by ambiguity who thrive with autonomy
Engineers define the engineering culture from the ground up rather than inherit one
Direct impact of shipped work on children and families seeking mental healthcare
Correctness and reliability matter deeply due to healthcare context
Know someone who'd be great for this?