Founding Engineer (AI + Geometry / CAD)
About the Role
This is a founding engineering role at an early-stage AEC software startup rethinking building design from the ground up for AI. You will help build the geometry and data core of a new BIM authoring tool, working directly alongside founders who have shipped widely-used CAD and real-time rendering products used by architects worldwide. There is no CTO yet, and the right person can grow into that seat.
What You'll Do
Design and build the geometry and data core of a next-generation BIM authoring tool, written from scratch for AI agents.
Develop AI agents that plan, generate, and edit real building models.
Build generative design systems that respect building codes and client-specific constraints.
Work across the full stack, picking up whatever area needs you most each week.
Contribute to architecture decisions and, over time, help shape the engineering team and culture.
What We're Looking For
Shipped production software; one to two years of experience is fine if you have been building serious projects independently for years, with more experience welcomed.
Hands-on work with 3D geometry or CAD: geometry kernels, B-rep or mesh representations, CAD APIs, IFC, or Revit (mechanical CAD experience also counts).
Daily, practical use of LLMs and AI agents in engineering work, not just side exploration.
Generalist mindset: comfortable moving across the stack and getting productive quickly in unfamiliar areas.
Startup or founder experience; long tenure at large CAD or engineering corporations alone is not the fit.
Fluent English; German is not required.
Strong CS fundamentals, regardless of where you studied.
Nice to have: AEC or BIM domain experience (IFC, Revit API, Rhino/Grasshopper); Python, PyTorch, TypeScript, or three.js; experience with generative or multimodal models over 3D or visual data.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary starting at €100,000 annually, with additional upside for candidates who can take on a CTO-level scope. Stock options included. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Location
Fully remote across Europe, including Switzerland and the UK. The team is distributed across multiple countries and time zones, with the founding team based in Karlsruhe, Germany.