The Mission: Autonomous Operations for Manufacturing SMBs
Manufacturing SMBs are currently drowning in complexity. Every day, critical data is lost in a flood of emails, phone calls, and manual spreadsheets that try to bridge the gap between accounting, supply chain, and production.
Sophia builds the platform that ends this chaos. We don't just digitize processes; we automate them, driving immediate improvements in revenue and efficiency.
Why is this hard?
We are solving the problem of fully self-serve AI. While competitors rely on service teams to deploy their software, we are building a system where the software deploys itself. Our technical breakthrough is an interface where users correct and guide agents just as they would a junior employee — turning complex prompt engineering into natural, human feedback.
The destination is clear: Autonomous Manufacturing Operations.
Your Role: AI-Lead
As the AI-focused Backend Founding Engineer you are building the basis for Autonomous Manufacturing Operations.
Ship Daily
Move from idea to production in hours, not weeks.
AI-Native Workflow
Use Cursor, Claude, and internal LLM tools to multiply your output. If you can automate a task, do it.
System Architecture
Design the integration layer connecting LLMs to real-world business software (Accounting, ERPs and CRMs).
Ownership
You own the outcome. If an agent or workflow fails, don't just fix the bug — build the eval system to ensure it never happens again.
The Stack
We value tools that allow for speed and type safety.
Backend
Python, FastAPI
Frontend
TypeScript, React, Next.js
Infrastructure
Self-hosted
AI / LLM
Local LLMs + Anthropic/Gemini
Who You Are
We don't care about your years of experience. We care about what you've built.
Builder
You have side projects, open-source contributions, or products you've shipped that you are genuinely proud of.
New Grads Welcome
If you are a cracked engineer straight out of uni who has been building AI agents in your dorm room, we want to talk to you.
Resourceful
You don't wait for a spec. You figure out what needs to happen and you make it happen.
Freiburg & at Customer On-Site
We work in tight loops. Being in the room together matters at this stage.
Why Sophia?
High Upside
Significant equity in a VC-backed, high-growth AI startup.
Direct Impact & Super Fast
Every line of code you write will be used by real customers within hours.
AI-First
We don't just "use" AI; we are at the bleeding edge of agentic workflows.
European Backbone
Help the European manufacturing sector stay competitive globally.
About the Founder
I have spent the last 12 years operating at the intersection of manufacturing and technology. My path hasn't been linear — it ranges from co-founding Knusperreich (a pioneer in D2C food) to running a traditional family-owned precision casting firm serving the aerospace and medical sectors.
That deep dive into the 'Mittelstand' revealed massive friction in industrial procurement, inspiring me to launch KREATIZE. There, we helped machinery companies automate sourcing, backed by €20m in funding from Tier-1 VCs like Atlantic and Earlybird.
While I navigated the startup rollercoaster over the last decade, I often felt I was too early or too young to fully capitalize on major tech waves. With AI, that changes. I am convinced the next generation of value belongs to the application layer — solving unsexy, complex problems for real industries. That is the mission behind Sophia.
Operating Principles
Sequence Matters: We will not scale the organization until we have undeniable Product-Market Fit. We solve the pain point first; we scale second.
Talent Density: We hire fewer people, but better people. A small team of A-players outperforms a large army of average performers.
Speed is the Moat: We operate with extreme urgency to iterate, learn, and ship faster than the incumbents.
Builders Only: Everyone contributes directly to product or revenue. We avoid pure "management" layers entirely in the early stage.
Brand as Leverage: We invest in brand early to lower CAC and attract top talent, treating it as a compounding asset.
The Interview Process
We move fast. Everywhere. We want to go from first chat to offer in 5 days.
The Vibe Check (30 min)
Chat with Simon about the vision and your background.
Product & Tech Deep Dive (45 min)
We'll walk through a real problem we're facing and see how you think.
Technical Challenge (60 min)
A hands-on coding session (no LeetCode; think systems and agents).
Onsite Co-Work
Spend half a day with us in Freiburg. We'll build and ship a real feature together.
We would love to hear from you!
Just send us an email with your details.
hello@gosophia.ai