Founding Engineer & Technical Lead – On-Device AI, Privacy Tech, Mobile Assistant
Location : Pune, India (Hybrid with in-person Garage)
Type : Full-time | Founding Team | Onsite Hybrid
Apply : talent@hushh.ai
Subject line : “Application – Founding Engineer & Technical Lead”
About Hushh
Hushh is on a mission to create privacy-first, on-device AI agents that help individuals own, understand, and benefit from their personal data. We’re reimagining the operating system of the digital self — where your preferences, behaviors, and decisions are not tracked, but empowered .
We're building the Hushh Personal Data Agent (PDA) — a cross-platform AI assistant that runs on your device, not in the cloud, and helps users control, retrieve, and share their data on their terms. Our engineering team is small, founder-led, and deeply focused on execution, performance, and design excellence .
About the Role
We are looking for an exceptional Founding Engineer & Technical Lead to help build the core of Hushh’s Personal Data Assistant MVP. You will architect and deliver :
- A mobile-first, on-device secure data vault
- An AI assistant layer that uses vector search, LLMs, and retrieval pipelines
- A product that integrates seamlessly with Gmail, Notion, Google Drive, Stripe, and more — all with end-user control and encrypted infrastructure
This is a hands-on technical leadership role where you'll build the architecture, own the stack, and collaborate directly with design, product, and the founder.
What You'll Do
Architect, build, and scale iOS / Android apps for personal data collection and assistant interactionDesign and maintain a local vault architecture (SQLite + encrypted key management)Build retrieval-augmented generation pipelines (RAG) using Qdrant / FAISS + LLMsIntegrate AI APIs (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) with cloud-fallback when on-device failsSecurely handle OAuth integrations for Gmail, Notion, Google Drive, Stripe, and other sourcesSet engineering best practices across mobile, backend, and AI agent stacksCollaborate on mobile UX for trust, privacy, and speedLead architecture reviews, sprint delivery, and milestone trackingWho You Are
6+ years of experience in software engineering, with deep mobile stack fluency (iOS / Swift, Android / Kotlin)Strong hands-on experience with AI systems , particularly LLMs, vector DBs, LangChain, and on-device inferenceBackground in privacy-first product architecture : encryption, consent systems, local-first storageAbility to operate as a startup founder-engineer : hands-on, decisive, and quality-obsessedFluent in any of the following : Python, Swift, Kotlin, Rust, Node.jsStrong written and verbal communication — able to convey ideas clearly and collaborate cross-functionallyTech Stack
Mobile : SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, React Native (for MVP speed)AI : OpenAI GPT-4, Whisper, CoreML, ggml, LangChain, LlamaIndexVector Search : FAISS, Qdrant, ChromaDBBackend : Node.js (Nest.js), Python (FastAPI), PostgreSQLSecurity : Libsodium, Secure Enclave, OAuth2, Keychain / KeystoreDevOps : GitHub Actions, Terraform, Docker, Firebase E2EE syncCloud AI (fallback) : OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Mistral APIsCompensation
Upto ₹1Cr in Total Compensation (base + performance bonus + ESOP - flexible structure)0.25% – 1.25% founding equity , with a 10-year exercise window encouraging long term thinkersAnnual offsite travel + device + compute allowanceHealthcare for you + dependentsDirect path to leadership roles as we scaleInterview Process
Application Review – CV + statement of exceptional projectsFounder Sync (15 mins) – Cultural alignment and vision discussionTechnical Interview 1 – Live mobile / infra problem solving (language of choice)Technical Interview 2 – Architecture session : data, security, and retrieval designProject Deep Dive – Share and walk through a shipped product or repoFinal Chat – Meet the team + walk through roadmapProcess time : typically 5–7 business days
Final interviews may be remote or in-person
Equal Opportunity
Hushh is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based on skill, ownership, and alignment with our mission. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, educational paths, and lived experiences. What matters is what you can build , not just where you've been.
Why Join Hushh?
Build a product the world actually needs — privacy with intelligenceWork with a founder-led team that blends capital markets, deep product, and long-term visionShip code that earns user trust, not user attentionCreate systems that feel like a private OS for your lifeDefine how AI helps humans — without turning them into data