Lead Designer (Remote, or San Francisco)

About the company

Unternet is a brand new startup building the future fabric of the web. We’re backed by Betaworks & Mozilla Ventures, and will soon be completing our pre-seed raise of $3-5M. Our goal is to build the successor to the browser, an intelligent web-based operating system that can coordinate information and apps to help humans get things done & live better digital lives.

A big part of that is working with the community to ensure the future of software stays open. Our first launch is the open-source Web Applets protocol & SDK, which allows anyone to build AI-native apps that are compatible with any client that implements the protocol.

As we build this next generation platform, we need exceptional engineering leadership to establish our technical foundation and guide our implementation choices. The technology decisions you make at Unternet have the potential to influence how web applications are built for years to come.

About the role

As Lead Engineer, you'll be one of Unternet's first hires, in charge of shaping the engineering function of the company. You'll be responsible for...

• Technical strategy & architecture. Design and implement the core architecture of our platform, making crucial decisions about our technical stack and establishing best practices.
• Product development. Writing code & working closely with and design to translate our vision into reality, ensuring we build scalable & performant solutions.
• Team leadership. Build and mentor a team of engineers, fostering a culture of innovation & high quality.
• Open source strategy. Guide our open source initiatives, including our Web Applets protocol, fostering community engagement and managing contributions.

Everyone is different, and we recognize that backgrounds and skill sets that suit this role will vary. However, here are a few things we think will be useful for any applicant:

• 6+ years of software engineering experience, with 2 years leading engineering teams
• Deep expertise in web technologies
• Strong background in JavaScript/TypeScript
• Experience building and maintaining open source projects
• Track record of making architectural decisions that stand the test of time & generalize to many use cases
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
• Familiarity with AI/ML technologies
• Strong understanding of security, performance, and scalability best practices
• A strong itch to create a more equitable software ecosystem
• Bonus points if you have experience with browser internals, software standards, or local-first sync!

Compensation

US$130,000 – US$190,000 + Leadership equity package (2-5%)

We will work together to decide on the (competitive!) market rate for your region & circumstances.