Job alert: Y Combinator’s Cua hiring founding engineer for AI agent platform at $150K

Y Combinator-backed Cua is seeking a founding engineer to own the user experience and design for their AI agent infrastructure platform. The San Francisco-based startup, which has gained 9,000+ GitHub stars in just four months, is building tools that enable AI agents to safely interact with real computers and applications at scale.

What you should know: This founding role combines frontend engineering with UX/design responsibilities, offering significant equity and product ownership in a fast-growing AI infrastructure company.

• The position offers $100,000-$150,000 salary plus 0.50%-0.75% equity for someone with 2+ years of frontend experience.
• Candidates will own the entire UI/UX across Cua’s platform, from developer onboarding to agent management dashboards.
• The role requires proficiency in TypeScript/React, Next.js, and modern design tools like Figma.

Key responsibilities: The founding engineer will shape how thousands of developers worldwide build, debug, and deploy AI agents through Cua’s platform.

• Building and maintaining frontend systems using Next.js, Tailwind, and shadcn/ui while collaborating with backend engineers.
• Translating complex AI infrastructure into simple, intuitive developer experiences.
• Contributing to open-source documentation and visual materials to grow the developer ecosystem.
• Participating in product discussions and driving the user-facing roadmap.

Why this matters: Cua is positioned at the intersection of two major trends—the rise of AI agents and the need for safe, scalable infrastructure to support them.

• The company’s open-source framework already serves thousands of developers building general-purpose AI agents.
• Their cloud container platform provides sandboxed execution environments, addressing critical safety concerns in AI agent deployment.
• With a seed round closed and Y Combinator backing, Cua has the resources to scale rapidly.

What they’re offering: Beyond competitive compensation, the role provides significant influence over a product that could define how AI agents are developed.

• Early-stage ownership with equity and high influence over product decisions.
• Real traction with 9,000+ GitHub stars and a fast-growing developer community.
• Full scope over design, frontend, and UX decisions for AI infrastructure tools.

How to apply: Cua encourages candidates to demonstrate their skills through hands-on engagement with their platform.

• Applications must include a portfolio, Dribbble, or GitHub profile.
• Candidates should provide a short note on the most impactful UI/UX or product experience they’ve designed.
• Bonus consideration for those who try building something with Cua or suggest UX improvements.