About the role

As a Founding Engineer at Helicone.ai, you’ll work side-by-side with the founders and a passionate team to build highly scalable systems and own end-to-end engineering projects that redefine the LLM developer experience. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a founding team, shape a product from the ground up, and make an outsized impact on the future of AI observability.

Why Join Helicone?

This is more than just a role—it's an opportunity to build something transformative at the ground level. You’ll be joining a tight-knit, ambitious team in San Francisco, the heart of AI innovation, and contributing to the leading platform for LLM observability.

Ownership and Impact: Your work will directly shape the platform, the team, and the company’s future.
Dynamic Culture: Weekly team lunches, monthly hackathons, and an environment where every idea is heard.
Growth Opportunity: Work on cutting-edge problems in AI, learn from the founders, and develop skills that push the boundaries of engineering.

If you’re looking for a challenging, impactful role where you can grow alongside a team that’s redefining observability for AI, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

Build Features: Design and implement new software features that enhance Helicone’s platform and developer experience.
Develop and Maintain Backend Services
- Frontend services (NextJS/Tailwind)
- Proxy worker (Wrangler/Cloudflare)
- Application database (Supabase)
- Analytics database (ClickHouse)
- Backend Services (Expres/AWS ECS)
- Queue (Kafka)
Own Projects End-to-End: Take responsibility for features and systems, from ideation to deployment and beyond.
Deployment and Operations: Manage and streamline deployment processes to ensure smooth operations.
Collaborate and Contribute: Work on feature requests, integrations, and documentation improvements to enhance usability.
Engage with the Community: Actively gather feedback, foster contributions, and improve the developer experience based on real-world insights.

Preferred Skills

Proficiency in TypeScript: With 91% of Helicone's codebase in TypeScript, deep experience is essential.
Experience with SQL or Similar: Strong database skills for working with ClickHouse, Supabase, and Postgres.
Cloud Services Expertise: Familiarity with cloud deployment workflows; experience with Cloudflare is a plus.
Problem-Solving and Communication: A clear thinker who can break down complex problems and communicate effectively.
Adaptability: A fast learner who thrives in a dynamic environment with evolving challenges.
AI Awareness: Solid understanding of LLMs and the current AI landscape.
Helicone Familiarity: Must have tried the platform at least once—your hands-on experience will be invaluable.

Helicone Tech Stack

Languages: TypeScript, Python
Frameworks: Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Express, ShadCN
Hosting: Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, Vercel, Supabase
Services: Docker, Postgres, ClickHouse, Cloudflare Workers, Redis
Developer Tools: Unix, CLI, git
LLMs: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, TogetherAI, and more

About Helicone

At Helicone.ai, we’re building the premier platform for LLM (Large Language Model) observability, empowering developers and data scientists with real-time insights and optimizations for their AI-powered applications. Our mission is to bridge the gap between complex AI systems and operational efficiency, providing tools that make it easier to track, analyze, and fine-tune LLM applications at scale.

Why Helicone?

Open Source Community:
We are deeply committed to user-centric development and transparency. Our open-source platform thrives on community-driven innovation, ensuring every contribution shapes the future of AI observability.
Purpose-Built for LLM Developers:
Designed by LLM developers for LLM developers, our tools streamline every aspect of building, deploying, and scaling LLM applications. From custom properties to caching, Helicone provides tailored solutions to enhance your workflows.
Right Time, Right Space:
The LLM ecosystem is rapidly evolving, and in 5 years, there will be unicorns and giants in this space. We’re on track to becoming one of them, and joining us now means you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping this journey.

Culture at Helicone

Our HQ is in the heart of San Francisco, the hub of AI innovation, and our culture reflects the dynamic, fast-paced energy of the industry.

Collaborative and Fun:
Every idea is heard and encouraged, fostering a creative and supportive work environment.
Team Building:
- Weekly Team Lunches: Connect over food and celebrate wins together every Thursday.
- Monthly Hackathons: Collaborate on creative side projects and compete for mini prizes in a fun, hands-on environment.
Flexibility and Autonomy:
We trust our team to deliver and offer remote work options and flexible hours to balance productivity with personal time.

What We Value

Technical Excellence:
We thrive on building efficient, maintainable systems. Engineers here take ownership of their projects from end to end.
Growth Mindset:
Helicone is a place to solve complex challenges, learn from peers, and continuously improve your craft.
Adaptability:
As a fast-growing startup, we pivot and iterate quickly. We value team members who excel in dynamic environments.

Perks & Benefits

Career Development: Opportunities for mentorship, technical ownership, and building a legacy in the LLM space.
Competitive Compensation: Includes equity, allowing you to share in the company’s growth.
Team Bonding: From hackathons to lunches, we foster an environment where collaboration and fun go hand in hand.

Interested in Building the Future of AI?

As a founding engineer at Helicone, you’ll work closely with the founders and team to build scalable systems, solve critical challenges, and own impactful engineering projects. Join us and make your mark on the rapidly evolving LLM space.