NYC preferred - Remote OK (1–2 weeks/quarter in NYC)

$180K–$250K + 3%–10% equity  - 4–6 week mutual alignment trial typical

Reports to CEO

About us

1 in 3 Americans who qualify for government benefits never receive them - not because they don’t qualify. Because the system is fragmented, manual, and nearly impossible to navigate. Over $500B flows through outdated, unconnected infrastructure every year.

Starlight is building the core infrastructure layer that connects financial institutions and fintechs directly to government benefits — helping underserved households access SNAP, LIHEAP, utility support, and more.

We’re backed by Caffeinated Capital, Commerce Ventures, Trustage Ventures, Garuda Ventures and mission-driven angels.

The role

This is a founding technical leadership role - architect and own the core stack that powers:

• Data matching and surfacing capabilities
• AI-native agents that navigate complex benefits systems
• Browser, form and data fusion infrastructure
• Real-time communication systems
• Experimentation systems

You do not inherit a roadmap; you will help define it. Help shape engineering culture, technical direction, and velocity standards from the ground up.

Who You Are

• Engineer first. Founder mindset.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and ownership.
• Ship fast without sacrificing quality.
• Built foundational systems or scaled consumer-facing products.