Founding Engineer
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Toronto, ON (Hybrid) Full-time, Founding Team Reports to: CTO
About Uniflow
Uniflow is building an AI-native business operating system—a complete platform for enterprise software that combines deterministic execution with governed AI. We're a seed-stage startup with a working compiler, runtime, and reference implementations. The concept is proven; the scale-out needs you.
The Role
As Founding Engineer - Platform, you will build the next-generation core runtime in Rust. This is the foundational layer that executes business logic, manages entity lifecycles, and ensures correctness at enterprise scale.
You'll own the performance envelope, the state-machine execution model, and the migration path from our current C# implementation to a zero-GC, sub-millisecond Rust runtime. Your work directly determines whether Uniflow can handle the throughput and latency requirements of mission-critical enterprise systems.
What You\'ll Own
Runtime correctness + performance envelope — Design and implement the Rust runtime architecture that guarantees deterministic execution with predictable, enterprise-grade performance under load.
Lifecycle and state-machine execution model — Port and optimize the hierarchical state machine (HSM) execution engine that drives all entity behavior, transitions, guards, and side effects.
Query engine for business data at scale — Build a high-performance query engine that supports complex business queries across large entity graphs with consistent, predictable latency.
What You\'ll Do
First 90 Days
- Understand the current C# runtime architecture, entity model, and state machine semantics
- Design the Rust runtime architecture with clear interfaces and migration boundaries
- Implement core entity lifecycle primitives in Rust with property-based tests for correctness
- Establish benchmarks and performance baselines for critical paths
First Year
- Complete the Rust runtime with full HSM execution, persistence integration, and query capabilities
- Achieve <1ms p99 latency for entity transitions under realistic load
- Implement incremental migration tooling so C# and Rust components can coexist during transition
- Define and enforce correctness invariants across the runtime boundary
Requirements
Must Have
- 5+ years building production systems in a systems language (Rust, C++, or C)
- Strong Rust experience — ownership model, async runtime (Tokio), unsafe boundaries
- Distributed systems fundamentals — consistency models, failure modes, state replication
- Experience with state machines or workflow engines in production
- Track record of performance at the systems level (profiling, memory layout, cache behavior)
Nice to Have
- Experience with C# / .NET (helpful for understanding the current codebase)
- Background in compilers, interpreters, or language runtimes
- Familiarity with enterprise software patterns (ERP, CRM, workflow systems)
- Contributions to open-source systems projects
Engineering Principles
We value:
- RFCs for big decisions — Architectural choices are documented and reviewed
- Correctness > cleverness — We optimize for maintainability and verifiability
- Determinism + observability as defaults — Every execution path is traceable and reproducible
Why Uniflow
Own the platform — Build a complete business operating system from the ground up. Your architecture decisions will power enterprise software for decades.
Hard problems, real stakes — Entity state machines, distributed persistence, enterprise-grade performance. This is mission-critical software where correctness isn\'t optional.
Founding team impact — Shape the platform\'s direction, culture, and technical trajectory. Early equity participation reflects your role in building the company.
Compensation
- Salary: Competitive, based on experience
- Equity: Meaningful founding-team equity package
- Location: Hybrid in Toronto (2-3 days/week in-office)
How to Apply
Send your resume and a brief note on why this role interests you to careers@uniflow.tech or apply through our website at uniflow.tech.
Include any relevant:
- Links to systems projects you\'ve built or contributed to
- Writing (blog posts, RFCs, design docs) that demonstrates your thinking
- Performance work you\'re proud of (before/after, methodology)
Uniflow is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members.
Interested?
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