We’re hiring a Founding AI Engineer to build the intelligence layer for the leading AI companion for language learning. You’ll own the core AI systems powering personalized conversations for millions of users.
Language learning shouldn’t feel like an app — it should feel like talking to someone who knows you: remembers what you struggled with last week, adapts in real time, and responds instantly.
Building that means solving hard systems problems at consumer scale: long-term memory, real-time speech, sub-second latency, adaptive dialogue, and personalized content.
About Pingo
Pingo helps 3,000,000+ users build fluency through real conversations. Since launching in January 2025, we’ve grown to $6 million ARR with ~50% MoM growth. Backed by Y Combinator and top investors, we’re building a small, talent-dense team obsessed with product quality and engineering rigor.
What You’ll Do
In one sentence: Build the systems that make Pingo the default way people learn languages.
You might be a great fit if you:
About the job:
Pingo AI is an AI language learning app that helps users build fluency through speaking. It immerses learners in realistic dialogues and personalized lessons with an AI tutor who sounds like a native speaker. Our goal is to make learning languages as simple as daily conversations with Pingo — a companion who understands your goals, remembers your progress, and keeps you motivated.
Salary
$180,000 - $250,000
Equity
0.5% - 1.5%
Location
San Francisco, CA, US
Total raised
$500K
Last stage
Seed
Investors
No applications, no recruiter spam. Just the intro.
A few questions to make sure this role is the right shape for you. Two minutes.
I write the intro, send it to the founder, and handle the back-and-forth.
If they’re a yes, I book the chat. You show up — that’s the whole job-hunt.