Founding Engineer

Company Description:

Goblin Labs is a research-focused company developing real-time AI personas—interactive characters that can see a user’s screen, converse naturally, and take actions alongside them. The team has solved key technical challenges, including sub-second avatar rendering, persistent multi-modal context, and reliable computer control. Goblin Labs is building foundational technology for next-generation human-computer interaction. Joining the team offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI systems that directly impact how people use computers every day.

Role Description:

As a Founding Engineer at Goblin Labs, you will design, build, and optimise core systems that power real-time AI personas. You will work on low-latency rendering pipelines, multi-modal context handling, and robust integrations that allow AI characters to reliably interact with user interfaces. Day-to-day, you will architect and implement production-quality code, prototype new features, run experiments, and debug complex performance and reliability issues. You will collaborate closely with the founders on product direction, help define engineering best practices, and contribute to building the company’s technical culture. This is a full-time, remote role.

Qualifications

• Strong software engineering skills in one or more modern programming languages (e.g., Python, C\+\+, Rust, Go) and experience building production systems.
• Background in real-time or high-performance computing (e.g., low-latency systems, graphics/visual rendering, or game engine development).
• Experience with machine learning or AI systems, such as model integration, multi-modal pipelines, or intelligent agents that interact with user interfaces.
• Comfort with systems design, distributed architectures, and working across the stack (from backend services to client-side integrations).
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, early-stage environment, including owning projects end-to-end and making pragmatic technical decisions.
• Strong problem-solving, debugging, and optimisation skills, with attention to reliability and user experience.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills, and willingness to partner closely with product and research teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience; prior startup or founding team experience is a plus.