Former Technical Founders
Encord · San Francisco
About us
We're solving AI's hardest problem: alignment.
Encord is the data layer for Physical AI and enterprise, serving as core infrastructure for 300+ teams at the cutting edge of AI, including Woven by Toyota, Hitachi, Skydio, AbbVie, Dyna, Walden, and Agility Robotics. From autonomous vehicles and robotics to sports and healthcare, we're solving AI's hardest problem: turning complex, real-world data into production-ready intelligent systems.
We're a team of former founders, scientists, quants, researchers, and even Olympians who’ve helped build some of the most successful companies in Silicon Valley, and alumni of MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial. We’ve raised $110M from early investors in companies like Databricks, ElevenLabs, and Vercel, and we’re growing at an extraordinary pace.
We're looking for exceptional people who want to help build a category-defining company, operating with high urgency and taking real ownership to help shape the future of AI.
The role
We're looking for former technical founders who want to get back to building. If you've experienced the thrill of 0 to 1 — the chaos, the ownership, the outsized impact — and you're hungry to do it again inside a rocketship, this is the role for you.
At Encord, you won't be a cog in a machine. You'll work directly with the founding team, take on high-stakes problems, and help shape the trajectory of the company. We don't care which box you fit into — we care about what you're capable of building.
What you'll do
Work closely with the cofounders to identify and drive some of the highest-leverage opportunities across product, engineering, GTM, or operations
Take ownership of ambitious, ambiguous problems and drive them from zero to shipped
Bring an entrepreneurial mindset to everything — spotting gaps, moving fast, and making things happen with limited resources
Build internal tools, processes, and systems that help Encord scale
Act as a force multiplier across teams, bringing founder-level energy and judgment to whatever you tackle
Who we're looking for
A former founder — ideally technical — who has built and scaled a product or company, and is eager to get back to the early days of 0 to 1
You may have started and exited your business and are ready to experience the journey again in a new context
You may not have AI or B2B experience, but you will have excelled at something incredibly challenging that demonstrates your grit and ability to overachieve
Deeply comfortable with ambiguity — you don't need a job spec to know what needs doing
A builder at heart who thinks from first principles and moves fast without sacrificing quality
Someone who takes extreme ownership and thrives without a safety net
Experience requirements
Proven experience founding or co-founding a technology company
Strong technical background — you've written production code and understand engineering trade-offs
Track record of building and shipping products that users love
Experience hiring, leading, and inspiring small, high-performing teams
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
Why Encord
Competitive salary, commission, and meaningful equity in a high-growth startup
Clear, accelerated growth opportunities as the company scales rapidly
Strong in-person culture: 4 days/week
Daily team lunches & dinners
Annual learning & development budget
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
US employees: 18 paid vacation days plus US public holidays
UK employees: 25 paid vacation days plus UK public holidays
Frequent travel opportunities across the U.S., London, and Europe
Bi-annual company offsites in & monthly socials
Operating principles
High agency
You see something broken, you fix it or find the person who can. We celebrate the people who solve 90% of a problem before anyone asks.
Build with care & urgency
We bear-hug the customer. Former founders and people from fast-moving, high-stakes environments thrive here.
Self-aware & hungry
We stay warm, self-aware, and genuinely hungry. We elevate our peers, and ego doesn't last long.
Invent in real time
We move toward the ambiguity. We’re pragmatic, resourceful, energized by the fact that there's no playbook.
If you're looking to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who push you to be better, we'd love to meet you.