STEM OPT Founding Engineer Jobs
Founding Engineer roles at early-stage startups qualify for STEM OPT when your degree falls under an eligible CIP code and the employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Your 24-month STEM OPT extension gives you up to 36 months total to build product, lead engineering, and transition to long-term sponsorship without racing an immediate H-1B deadline.
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Get Access To All JobsABOUT MERIDIAN
Meridian is building the world's first multi-agent platform that helps enterprise brands market and sell to AI.
Search is shifting from traditional search engines to AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude; systems that generate answers and increasingly take actions on behalf of users. Businesses now need to ensure they are visible and correctly represented inside these systems.
We're building the platform that enables this. The product is already being used by hundreds of customers, the core idea is validated, and the company is still small enough for your work to define its trajectory.
THE ROLE
As a Founding Engineer, you'll work directly with the founders to build the core systems that power Meridian. You'll take ownership of ambiguous, high-impact problems and turn them into reliable software that runs autonomously in production.
This is a role for engineers who want extreme ownership, fast execution, and the opportunity to shape a company from the ground up.
- Own problems end-to-end: take loosely defined business problems and drive them from idea → system design → implementation → iteration; you're responsible not just for writing code, but for defining what should be built and ensuring it works in the real world
- Design and build agents: create the internal tools and systems that allow Meridian to define, execute, and monitor complex workflows; over time, these systems will increasingly design and run workflows autonomously
- Work on real data and decision systems: build and improve the pipelines that power our platform: data ingestion and analysis, AI model orchestration, evaluation and accuracy measurement, and feedback loops that improve system performance over time
- Solve hard, practical problems: understand what people and agents are searching for across markets, identify the signals AI systems use to generate answers, and build fully autonomous workflows
- Make high-leverage technical decisions: make tradeoffs that impact the long-term trajectory of the product and company, prioritizing the actions that move the needle most toward our mission
- Shape the company: work closely with the founders and early team to influence product direction, system architecture, and engineering culture
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- You own problems: clear examples of taking a loosely defined problem and driving it to completion without step-by-step guidance; you don't wait for perfect specs
- You're a strong technical generalist: you can move across the stack and quickly learn new tools; languages and frameworks matter less than your ability to design systems and ship results
- You have exceptional attention to detail: you care deeply about the quality of what you ship and can distill an envisioned outcome into reality; we don't ship AI slop, we ship art
- You move fast: bias toward execution; you prefer shipping, learning, and improving over endless planning
- You're ambitious: this role should feel like a career accelerator
- You communicate clearly: you can communicate effectively across engineers, customers, and non-technical teammates; strong communication is essential for moving fast and making good decisions
WHAT YOU'LL GET
- Competitive salary + equity
- Health, dental, and vision
- In-person team in Manhattan with tight feedback loops and direct access to founders
- Outsized scope and ownership from day one
ABOUT MERIDIAN
Meridian is building the world's first multi-agent platform that helps enterprise brands market and sell to AI.
Search is shifting from traditional search engines to AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude; systems that generate answers and increasingly take actions on behalf of users. Businesses now need to ensure they are visible and correctly represented inside these systems.
We're building the platform that enables this. The product is already being used by hundreds of customers, the core idea is validated, and the company is still small enough for your work to define its trajectory.
THE ROLE
As a Founding Engineer, you'll work directly with the founders to build the core systems that power Meridian. You'll take ownership of ambiguous, high-impact problems and turn them into reliable software that runs autonomously in production.
This is a role for engineers who want extreme ownership, fast execution, and the opportunity to shape a company from the ground up.
- Own problems end-to-end: take loosely defined business problems and drive them from idea → system design → implementation → iteration; you're responsible not just for writing code, but for defining what should be built and ensuring it works in the real world
- Design and build agents: create the internal tools and systems that allow Meridian to define, execute, and monitor complex workflows; over time, these systems will increasingly design and run workflows autonomously
- Work on real data and decision systems: build and improve the pipelines that power our platform: data ingestion and analysis, AI model orchestration, evaluation and accuracy measurement, and feedback loops that improve system performance over time
- Solve hard, practical problems: understand what people and agents are searching for across markets, identify the signals AI systems use to generate answers, and build fully autonomous workflows
- Make high-leverage technical decisions: make tradeoffs that impact the long-term trajectory of the product and company, prioritizing the actions that move the needle most toward our mission
- Shape the company: work closely with the founders and early team to influence product direction, system architecture, and engineering culture
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- You own problems: clear examples of taking a loosely defined problem and driving it to completion without step-by-step guidance; you don't wait for perfect specs
- You're a strong technical generalist: you can move across the stack and quickly learn new tools; languages and frameworks matter less than your ability to design systems and ship results
- You have exceptional attention to detail: you care deeply about the quality of what you ship and can distill an envisioned outcome into reality; we don't ship AI slop, we ship art
- You move fast: bias toward execution; you prefer shipping, learning, and improving over endless planning
- You're ambitious: this role should feel like a career accelerator
- You communicate clearly: you can communicate effectively across engineers, customers, and non-technical teammates; strong communication is essential for moving fast and making good decisions
WHAT YOU'LL GET
- Competitive salary + equity
- Health, dental, and vision
- In-person team in Manhattan with tight feedback loops and direct access to founders
- Outsized scope and ownership from day one
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Founding Engineer
Confirm your CIP code before applying
Pull your I-20 and verify your degree's CIP code against the DHS STEM OPT designated degree list. Computer science, electrical engineering, and applied mathematics all qualify, but some interdisciplinary programs don't. A mismatch disqualifies your extension before you start.
Filter startups by E-Verify enrollment status
Founding Engineer roles are concentrated at seed and Series A companies, many of which haven't enrolled in E-Verify yet. Ask directly during the first call and confirm enrollment before investing time in interviews. An unenrolled employer cannot legally hire you on STEM OPT.
Use Migrate Mate to find STEM OPT-eligible roles
Search Founding Engineer positions on Migrate Mate to see which employers are E-Verify enrolled and have STEM OPT hiring history. Early-stage companies are often filtered out on generic boards because they don't post sponsorship details, but Migrate Mate surfaces that data directly.
File your I-983 training plan before your start date
Your DSO must sign and submit the I-983 to SEVIS before you begin work. Startups with no HR infrastructure often delay this step, which puts your authorization at risk. Draft the training plan yourself with your hiring manager and bring it ready to sign at offer acceptance.
Check prevailing wage for your exact location and role
Founding Engineers at startups often receive equity-heavy, below-market cash salaries. Run your offer through the OFLC Wage Search using your SOC code and work location before signing. If your wage falls below the Level I threshold, your future H-1B LCA filing could be challenged.
Plan your cap-gap timeline at the 27-month mark
If your employer files an H-1B petition before your STEM OPT expires, cap-gap protection extends your authorization through September 30. Startups often miss this filing window. Track your OPT end date and confirm with USCIS guidance that your employer submits the petition before that deadline.
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Find Founding Engineer JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does a Founding Engineer role qualify for STEM OPT?
Yes, if your degree carries an eligible CIP code and the role requires the application of your STEM field. Founding Engineer is a broad title, so your I-983 training plan must map your specific duties, such as system architecture or machine learning, to your degree. USCIS reviews the substantive connection between your coursework and your daily responsibilities, not just the job title.
What happens if the startup I'm joining isn't enrolled in E-Verify yet?
You cannot start work until the employer completes E-Verify enrollment. There's no grace period or provisional authorization. Some founders are willing to enroll before your start date, which typically takes one to three business days through the E-Verify program. Get written confirmation of enrollment before you give notice at any current employer.
How do I find Founding Engineer jobs where employers already understand STEM OPT?
Search on Migrate Mate, which shows E-Verify enrollment status and STEM OPT hiring history for each employer. Early-stage startups rarely advertise sponsorship details publicly, so filtering by verified enrollment saves significant time. Prioritize companies that have previously hired F-1 students because their founders and legal teams already understand the I-983 and reporting obligations.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a Founding Engineer position?
Your I-983 must describe specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, your supervisor's mentorship role, and how the employer will evaluate your progress. For Founding Engineers, this typically includes goals around system design, technical leadership, and engineering processes. Your employer countersigns, and your DSO submits it to SEVIS. You must also file an evaluation at the 12-month mark and at the end of the training period.
Can cap-gap protect me if my startup files an H-1B petition late?
Cap-gap only applies if your employer files a timely H-1B petition during the annual registration window, before your OPT EAD expires. If the startup misses the April 1 filing window or your STEM OPT ends before the petition is filed, cap-gap protection doesn't apply and your work authorization lapses. Confirm your OPT end date against the H-1B filing calendar at least six months in advance.
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