# Founding AI Engineer at Clera

Founding AI Engineer at Clera in San Francisco. On-site, full-time, paying $120k–$180k. Posted August 1, 2026.

- Company: Clera
- Location: San Francisco
- Workplace: On-site
- Job type: Full-time
- Pay: $120k–$180k
- Posted: 2026-08-01
- Apply: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/clera/3dc0a0f6-6a53-4a8c-bc70-b007113c348a/application
- Source: https://jobmagic.ai/jobs/founding-ai-engineer-clera-kgqg51

## Requirements

- Demonstrated experience applying computer vision and/or multimodal AI in production — on real-world, messy data (documents, images, mixed modalities).
- 0-to-1 builder mindset: you've launched an AI system into production or built the core of a new product from scratch.
- Hands-on experience with LLMs and modern CV/multimodal model tooling and techniques.
- Comfort iterating quickly and improving prototypes directly from user feedback.
- Strong communication skills — honest, empathetic, and transparent with teammates and stakeholders.
- Willingness to handle the full spectrum of startup engineering tasks (no task is too small).
- Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate; US work authorization required.

## Description

### About the Role

This is a founding engineering role at a seed-stage AI startup building the intelligence layer for the construction industry. The company's platform transforms messy blueprints, permits, and construction documents into actionable insights — accelerating cost estimation and permitting workflows that directly impact housing, hospitals, and schools.
As a **Founding AI Engineer**, you'll be one of the earliest technical hires, working hands-on with state-of-the-art computer vision, LLMs, and multimodal AI to prototype and ship production systems on real-world, noisy construction documents. The focus is squarely on the **intelligence layer** — modeling, data pipelines, and inference — not the application UI.
**This is a full-time, in-office role based in San Francisco, CA.** Candidates must be based in SF or willing to relocate. US work authorization is required; visa sponsorship is not available.

### What You'll Do

- Apply state-of-the-art computer vision, LLM, and multimodal AI techniques to real-world construction documents (blueprints, schedules, specs).

- Rapidly prototype models and iterate based on user feedback and real production data.

- Build and deploy end-to-end AI systems that operate reliably on noisy, heterogeneous inputs.

- Own the intelligence layer: modeling, data pipelines, and inference infrastructure.

- Collaborate closely with product and users to surface and prioritize high-impact problems.

- Embrace practical engineering work — data labeling, ETL, deployment — as part of a small, high-trust team.

- Communicate progress, tradeoffs, and results clearly and empathetically across the team.

### What We're Looking For

**Must-haves:**

- Demonstrated experience applying **computer vision and/or multimodal AI** in production — on real-world, messy data (documents, images, mixed modalities).

- **0-to-1 builder mindset**: you've launched an AI system into production or built the core of a new product from scratch.

- Hands-on experience with LLMs and modern CV/multimodal model tooling and techniques.

- Comfort iterating quickly and improving prototypes directly from user feedback.

- Strong communication skills — honest, empathetic, and transparent with teammates and stakeholders.

- Willingness to handle the full spectrum of startup engineering tasks (no task is too small).

- Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate; US work authorization required.

**Nice-to-haves:**

- Experience building something that shipped to real users or paying customers.

- Background or domain knowledge in construction, AEC (architecture/engineering/construction), or related industries.

- Experience at an early-stage startup or founding team environment.

*All experience levels are welcome, including recent graduates with strong production ML portfolios.*

### Compensation & Benefits

- **Salary:** $120,000 – $180,000 per year, depending on experience

- Equity participation as a founding team member

- Opportunity to shape the technical direction of an AI product from the ground up

### Location

- **San Francisco, CA — full-time in-office**

- Relocation-ready candidates strongly encouraged to apply

- US work authorization required; visa sponsorship is not available