Software Developer Engineer
About this role
We are looking for a Software Developer with 3-4+ years of experience to join a 3-person team building AI-powered CAD software that is creating a foundation model for mechanical engineering. You'll be a curious, ownership-driven engineer who can pull their own weight and ship production code end-to-end. This is a ground-floor opportunity at a YC-backed startup that has answered its fundamental technical questions and is now pouring gasoline on the fire, the team is doubling in the next few months . The founders were early employees (first 10) at Cruise Automation (acquired by GM for $1B+) and are recreating that kind of magic.
Responsibilities:
Own the design, architecture, and delivery of core systems end-to-end: from ambiguous problems to shipped, maintained products.
Partner with founders to turn fuzzy goals into technical roadmaps, and drive them to ship.
Set and raise the engineering bar: code review, testing standards, and architectural direction across the codebase.
Lead the design and productionization of the machine learning systems behind our AI-powered CAD.
Troubleshoot, debug, and resolve defects: from everyday bugs to systemic issues in performance, reliability, and scalability.
Build on and improve our engineering practices (CI/CD, testing, observability) as the team and product grow.
Help shape our engineering culture and team as we grow
Requirements:
3-4+ years building and shipping production software.
Deep proficiency in Python and experience designing backend services that scale (e.g., Django, Flask, SQL).
Hands-on experience building and deploying machine learning models in production.
Track record of owning systems end-to-end and making sound architectural tradeoffs with limited direction.
Comfort with ambiguity and a track record of raising the technical bar of the teams you work with.
Strong communication and teamwork skills.
Strong Computer Science fundamentals
Bonus Skills:
CAD, geometry, or computational-geometry domain experience.
C#/.NET (some add-ins are C#).
Experience packaging and shipping native desktop applications on Windows and macOS, including code signing.
Deep AWS / cloud / infrastructure / DevOps experience at scale.
Early-stage startup or 0→1 product experience.
What We Offer:
Competitive salary and equity options.
Comprehensive health insurance, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Catered lunch.
Unlimited time-off.
A collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Opportunities for professional growth and development.
The chance to be part of a passionate team building innovative products.
Company at a glance
Hestus is an AI-powered CAD company founded by experienced hardware engineers that aims to revolutionize the hardware development process through intelligent design tools. Selected for Y Combinator S24, the company leverages its founders' expertise in aerospace, robotics, and autonomous systems.
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
Dynamic startup environment
Fast-paced work environment
Versatile and multi-hat roles
Innovation-focused culture
Passion for technology valued
Fast-growing company with scaling experience from founders
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