Job description
Founding Platform Engineer
Company Overview
CEF AI is a company with 11-50 employees specializing in Software Development. CEF is an inference platform for sovereign AI agents. We unify orchestration, data, and infrastructure into a single platform optimized for real-time compute — running across clou…
Job Summary
We are hiring an Founding Platform Engineer to help build the core infrastructure behind CEF AI. This is not a ticket-taking engineering role. This is not a feature factory role. This is a platform building role for someone who wants to architect and ship real systems. We are intentionally building a small, high leverage engineering team. AI coding tools dramatically increase individual output, so we hire fewer engineers - but expect much higher ownership. Your job is to design, build, and ship the core systems that make the platform real. You will work across backend infrastructure, developer tooling, and AI enabled workflows -taking ideas from concept to production quickly. If you think in systems, architecture, and execution pipelines rather than tasks, this role is for you.
Key Responsibilities
- Build the Core Platform: Architect and implement backend systems that power the AI first data platform. Design scalable, secure infrastructure for running AI agents on sensitive data. Build APIs, services, and execution layers that enable real time data processing. Ensure systems are reliable, performant, and production ready. We are not looking for someone to maintain systems. We are looking for someone to create them.
- Developer Infrastructure & Tooling: Build SDKs, CLI tools, and developer facing interfaces. Design clean developer workflows for interacting with the platform. Enable external developers to build applications on top of our infrastructure. Maintain strong documentation and technical clarity. Developer experience is part of the product.
- Rapid Prototyping & Product Development: Rapidly prototype new capabilities using modern development tools. Use AI coding tools to accelerate iteration and experimentation. Work closely with founders to turn early concepts into working systems. Ship quickly, iterate fast, and continuously improve. Speed and clarity matter more than perfect plans.
Requirements / Qualifications
- 4+ years of experience building production software.
- Strong computer science fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, system design).
- Comfortable building backend infrastructure and distributed systems.
- Fluent with modern engineering tools and AI-assisted development.
- Experience designing systems that scale.
- Strong written communication and technical documentation skills.
- High agency - you ship without waiting for permission.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with distributed or decentralized architectures.
- Web3 / blockchain infrastructure experience.
- EVM, Substrate, or multi chain wallet development.
- AI/ML or agent-driven systems.
- GraphQL.
- Public code, technical writing, or open source contributions.
Location
Berlin, Germany, Remote: True
Employment Type
Full Time
Salary & Benefits
- Real Equity: We treat early team members like partners. You’ll receive meaningful equity so the upside you help create is shared.
- Build Systems, Not Features: This is not a ticket taking role. You will design and ship foundational systems that other developers and AI agents will depend on.
- Work on Hard, Emerging Problems: We are building infrastructure for AI agents operating on sensitive, real time data without relying on centralized black box platforms. While parts of this ecosystem exist, the architecture for doing it securely and reliably at scale is still evolving.
- Small Team, High Output: We believe the best teams are small and extremely capable. AI tools increase individual leverage, so we hire fewer people and expect a much higher level of ownership and output.
- Autonomy With Accountability: We hire people who don’t wait for permission to solve problems. If you see a better way to build something, you’re expected to propose it and ship it.
- Hybrid Work, Built Around Collaboration: We believe great systems are built through close collaboration. The team works in a hybrid setup and regularly spends time together in person in Berlin and San Francisco for focused building sessions and hackathons.
Application Process
We move fast, stay transparent, and focus on real collaboration. Here’s what the process looks like:
- Intro Call: A quick chat to align on expectations, interests, and team fit.
- Technical Deep Dive: A focused conversation with our Engineering Manager to explore your technical thinking and past work.
- CEO Interview: A strategic discussion around vision, mindset, and long-term alignment.
- Reference Collection: We’ll speak with a few people you’ve worked closely with.
- Paid Trial (~5 Days): A short, real world engagement so we can see how we work together — happening in parallel with offer and terms discussion.
