Founding Product Engineer | JobSetuu

Description

Job Overview

• Source: Arbeitnow
• Location: Leipzig
• Job Type: Full-Time

Job Description

**About Pling
**
Pling builds the operational backbone for medical practices, starting in dentistry. Most dental software handles the patient journey (documentation, treatment plans, billing) — we handle the operations enabling it: equipment management, regulatory compliance, team coordination, service procurement — a segment the wider industry has largely overlooked. Our vision: expand horizontally into other medical specialties and vertically into a marketplace connecting practices with manufacturers, technicians, and service providers.

• Six-digit ARR, 90%+ gross margins, growing ~4x year over year
• Proven product-market fit with a diverse customer base — from single practitioners to enterprise-level dental chains
• Bootstrapped by design — profitable, growing without external capital, raising our first round in Q4/Q1
• Sticky by design — compliance obligations make Pling mission-critical infrastructure; once integrated, customers don't churn

The team

The founding team combines deep startup, product, and domain expertise.

• Paolo (CEO) — Stanford-educated, spent 8 years in Silicon Valley where he built and sold a startup, ex-BCG, two prior exits
• Henrik (CPO) — ex-BCG, N26, ImmoScout24, early-stage startups
• Jonas (CMO) — former clinician at Uniklinik Düsseldorf, ran his own practice, self-taught engineer. Currently owns Pling's technical architecture and codes alongside the team.

Tasks

The role

You'll own Pling's architecture and code, strategy and execution. The role is hands-on and impact-driven: you contribute to product discussions alongside the founders, then own the full technical lifecycle — architecture, implementation, deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement in production — with a focus on real-world reliability and business impact.

Your mandate is to architect and ship the platform that takes Pling to the next 10x of customers and locations — AI-native by design, built to scale across multi-site groups across Europe — and to build the development pipeline that makes our shipping velocity hard to match.

We believe a small, AI-augmented engineering team can outship teams five times its size. You'll prove that with us.

What you'll do

• Build complete features end-to-end — data model to API to UI
• Own the technical direction — architecture, infrastructure, security, performance
• Design and own the LLM pipelines that power Pling's AI features — prompt design, structured outputs, evals, monitoring, cost tracking
• Set engineering standards across code and AI features — testing, CI/CD, observability, code review on one side; eval harnesses, regression checks, and quality metrics tied to business outcomes on the other
• Define and lead the migration to our next-generation architecture — the stack choices are yours to shape
• Build the development pipeline that makes our shipping velocity hard to match
• Hire and lead — bring on the next engineer when the time is right, and define how the team works

Requirements

Experience

• 6–9+ years building production software in fast-paced environments, with at least 2 years focused on LLM-powered features in production
• Pragmatic about architecture and tradeoffs; you've learned that good engineering usually means removing complexity, not adding it
• Comfort across the stack — backend center of gravity, but able to ship end-to-end
• Production experience with Python, TypeScript/Node.js, and modern databases (SQL and NoSQL)

AI-native fluency

• Deep practical understanding of LLM behavior: prompting, structured outputs, context window management, common failure modes, handling non-determinism, and writing evals that catch regressions before users do
• Pragmatic about model selection — pick across providers (Claude, GPT, Gemini, open-weights) based on cost, latency, and quality tradeoffs for each use case
• Know when not to reach for an LLM. A lot of good engineering is knowing when a regex, a lookup table, or deterministic code is the right answer. You hate AI slop as much as you love AI leverage.
• Follow the field actively and adopt new tools when they earn it.

Builder mindset

• You'd rather build than manage. AI excites you because it lets you ship at a scale you couldn't before.

Engineering excellence

• Code quality is a habit, not an afterthought: testing, review, quality gates
• Strong on operational excellence: security, reliability, performance, observability
• Confident with CI/CD and production deployments

Collaboration

• Clear communicator who explains technical trade-offs to founders, customers, and future hires
• Balance speed, quality, and long-term sustainability in your decisions
• Fluent English. German is a big plus — our customers operate in German

Benefits

Why Pling

• Strong traction in an attractive niche. Profitable, growing fast, in a category few others are addressing.
• An ambitious platform vision. Horizontal expansion to other medical specialties and a vertical marketplace dimension both within reach.
• Equity anchored at pre-fundraise valuation. Because we haven't raised yet, the upside on equity granted now is materially higher than it will be even six months from now.
• Dynamic, fast-paced environment with experienced founder-operators and domain experts — direct access, fast decisions.
• AI-native team. Everyone at Pling uses AI as a daily tool.
• Remote-first today with regular team meetups in Berlin. Hybrid options as we open offices.
• 30 days of PTO.

Pleasy apply with a short message:

• why this role
• what you'd bring
• something you've built
• CV or LinkedIn

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Expert Career Tips for Founding Product Engineer Roles

To succeed in a competitive market as a Founding Product Engineer, you need more than just technical skills. Here are some expert strategies to elevate your profile:

• Build a Strong Portfolio: For technical roles, a clean GitHub or a personal project site is essential. For non-technical roles, a case study portfolio demonstrating problem-solving and impact is equally valuable. Show, don't just tell, what you have achieved in your previous positions.
• Master the Narrative: When interviewing, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Quantify your results wherever possible—mentioning "increased efficiency by 20%" is much more impactful than saying "improved efficiency."
• Continuous Learning: The industry moves fast. Whether it's staying updated with the latest AI tools or mastering a new management methodology, continuous professional development is key. Consider obtaining industry-recognized certifications that align with Founding Product Engineer requirements.
• Networking: Connect with other professionals in similar roles. Join online communities, attend webinars, and engage in meaningful discussions on professional social networks. Often, the best opportunities come through referrals and community engagement.
• Soft Skills Matter: Communication, empathy, and leadership are often the deciding factors between two equally qualified technical candidates. Cultivate these skills as they are universally valued across all industries and seniority levels.

Additionally, research the specific company's culture and values. Tailoring your application to show how you align with their mission can significantly increase your chances of moving forward in the process.

Salary & Compensation

Salary not disclosed; typically competitive for the role.

Work Arrangement

Type: On-Site

Standard business hours at the office.

Comprehensive Application Strategy & Hiring Process

Applying for a new role is a marathon, not a sprint. Follow this strategic approach to maximize your success rate:

1. Initial Research & Tailoring

Don't send the same resume to every employer. Spend at least 30 minutes researching the company. Look for recent news, their product roadmap, and their team structure. Modify your summary and core competencies to reflect the specific keywords found in the job description.

2. The Perfect Cover Letter

If the application allows for a cover letter, use it to tell a story that your resume cannot. Explain why you are passionate about this specific company and how your unique background makes you the perfect fit for the challenges they are currently facing.

3. Navigating the Multi-Stage Interview

Most modern hiring processes involve 3-5 stages. This typically includes a recruiter screen, a technical or skill-based assessment, a peer interview, and a final leadership round. Prepare for each stage differently: focus on enthusiasm and fit for the recruiter, technical depth for the assessment, and strategic vision for the leadership round.

4. Post-Interview Follow-Up

Always send a personalized thank-you note within 24 hours of each interview. Reference a specific topic discussed during the call to demonstrate your active listening and genuine interest in the role.

By following these steps, you demonstrate a high level of professionalism and attention to detail that sets you apart from the average applicant.

Typical Interview Process

1. Resume screening
2. HR call
3. Skill interview
4. Final manager interview
5. Offer

Tip: Research the company's products and culture.

Global Market Intelligence & Relocation Insights

At JobSetuu, we specialize in helping talent navigate the global job market. Here is what you need to know about the current landscape in Leipzig and beyond:

The demand for skilled professionals is increasingly borderless. For roles based in Leipzig, understanding the local cost of living, visa requirements (if applicable), and cultural nuances is vital. If this is a remote role, consider the time zone alignment and the asynchronous communication culture of the hiring organization.

Relocation Support: Many forward-thinking companies offer relocation packages that include moving stipends, temporary housing, and legal assistance with work permits. When evaluating an offer, look beyond the base salary—consider the total compensation package, including equity, bonuses, and healthcare benefits.

Work-Life Balance Trends: Hybrid and remote work have become standard in many regions. Research the local labor laws and common practices regarding work hours and vacation time to ensure the role aligns with your lifestyle goals.

Leveraging JobSetuu's tools can help you compare salaries across different cities and understand the "purchasing power" of your potential offer, ensuring you make an informed decision for your long-term career path.

Skills & Competency Roadmap for Professional Development

To remain competitive in Professional Development, we recommend focusing on the following core competencies over the next 12-18 months:

• Technical Mastery: Deepen your expertise in the core tools and languages relevant to your field. For developers, this might be cloud architecture; for marketers, it might be data-driven attribution modeling.
• AI Augmentation: Learn how to leverage generative AI and automation tools to increase your productivity. Understanding how to integrate these technologies into your workflow is becoming a non-negotiable skill.
• Leadership & Strategy: Even in individual contributor roles, the ability to think strategically and lead projects from inception to completion is highly valued. Focus on stakeholder management and high-level project planning.
• Data Literacy: The ability to interpret data and use it to drive decisions is essential across all business functions. Familiarize yourself with data visualization and basic analytical concepts.

By investing in these areas, you not only prepare yourself for the role you are applying for today but also build a resilient foundation for the opportunities of tomorrow.

Apply via JobSetuu

Discover your next career milestone on JobSetuu. This Founding Product Engineer position is part of our commitment to bringing you the most relevant and high-impact job openings globally. At JobSetuu, we simplify your job search by aggregating premier listings and providing the tools you need to stand out. Don't miss the chance to elevate your professional journey—explore more opportunities and career insights on our platform today.