Founding Engineer

About Octane
Octane is building agentic AI systems that handle day-to-day operational work inside real businesses.

These workflows deal with messy inputs, fragmented systems, and constant edge cases... the kind of work that usually requires coordination, follow-ups, and manual effort. We are currently in stealth mode. Octane is seed-funded with a healthy runway, and more specifics will be shared during interviews.

About The Role
This is a true founding engineer role. You will help build the core product from the ground up: backend systems, integrations, infrastructure, agent workflows, and whatever else is needed for the system to work in the real world. You will have real ownership, move quickly, and work closely with the founders on both product and technical direction.

Preferred Experience
2+ years of professional software development with a proven track record of building and scaling production systems
Startup background, you’ve thrived in fast-paced, zero-to-one environments where speed and ownership matter most
Agentic applications experience designing or building AI systems that act autonomously, adapt to context, and improve through feedback loops
Experience with LLMs, agents, automation workflows, or messy real-world data is a plus

What You’ll Do
Build backend systems, integrations, infrastructure, and agent workflows
Work directly with founders on product and technical direction
Turn messy real-world workflows into reliable software systems
Ship quickly, learn from customers, and improve the product fast
Help set early engineering standards and technical direction

Qualifications
Strong software engineering fundamentals and collaborative development best practices
Comfortable with modern languages and frameworks such as Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Node.js, or similar
Good understanding of backend systems, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and system design
Strong evidence that you can build useful things and make them work in the real world

Who Thrives Here
Moves fast, ships early, and iterates often
Takes ownership without needing much hand-holding
Communicates clearly and makes good practical decisions
Can operate well in ambiguity
Understands early-stage startup pace and is ready for intense building periods

Compensation
$104,000 - $165,000 cash + bonus + meaningful equity + benefits

Location
Houston, TX, In-person strongly preferred. Relocation candidates welcome.

Application Note
Please include links to products, systems, side projects, GitHub work, demos, or anything else that shows what you have built. You can also apply at: https://getoctane.ai/
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