Product Engineer

San Francisco on site Until 8/21/2026 First posted March 18, 2026 Last posted March 18, 2026
Job description

About Kernel

Kernel is crazy fast, open source browser infrastructure for AI agents. We handle autoscaling, observability, and the messy details of web interaction, so developers can focus on what their agents do instead of how they do it.

Teams at Cash App, Rye, and 3000+ others use Kernel for deep research, QA automation, and real-time web analysis. We've raised $22M from Accel, YC, and Vercel.

If you're interested in building critical infrastructure for agents on the web, we'd love to chat.

About the role

Product Engineers at Kernel are full-stack engineers who think about the product as much as the code. You know how to translate your strong product instincts into code, from pixel-level UI decisions to backend API design. You don't wait for a spec, you help write it.

You'll work closely with our co-founders to set product direction, ship full-stack features end-to-end, and make Kernel feel as polished as it is powerful.

What you’ll do

  • Own the full-stack implementation of user-facing product surfaces: dashboard, onboarding, website, and core product

  • Shape the product roadmap by synthesizing customer feedback, usage patterns, and your own instincts about what developers need

  • Drive DX improvements across our SDK, docs, CLI, and API. The kind of details that make developers say "this just works"

  • Ship fast and iterate, from prototype to production with minimal hand-holding

  • Help define what it means to build a great developer product at Kernel

What we're looking for

  • You ship end-to-end: you're comfortable owning a feature from frontend to backend and getting it across the finish line

  • You have product taste: you've thought hard about what makes developer tools feel magical vs. frustrating, and that thinking shows up in your work

  • Startup experience: you've built fast, worn multiple hats, and figured things out without a playbook

  • You build for developers deploying agents into the real world

  • You have strong opinions about devEx and API design, and you know how to back them up with shipped work

What you can expect as a Kernel

  • Industry-competitive salary

  • Above market equity

  • Premium medical + dental coverage + dependent coverage

  • Small, trusting team of senior + staff engineers

  • Default async with minimal bureaucracy, only two meetings a week

  • $1k / mo budget for LLM usage fees #vibecheck

  • Daily lunches on us

  • Unlimited PTO

  • 401k + company match

  • Relocation assistance

Hiring process

We have a simple process focused on real world collaboration and jointly getting to know each other:

  1. 30-minute intro call with one of Kernel’s co-founders

  2. 45-minute technical interview (virtual)

  3. Half-day on-site (virtual or in-person) working with our team on relevant challenges.

  4. Offer!

Compensation (from employer):
$175K – $250K • 0.1% – 0.35%

About this role

Summary

Own full-stack features, improve developer experience, ship end-to-end product surfaces

Job title

Product Engineer

Experience level

not specified

Industry

software

Location requirements

San Francisco; remote work not specified

Salary

$175K – $250K • 0.1% – 0.35%

Management role

No

Skills & keywords

Required skills

full-stackfrontendbackendAPI design

Preferred skills

developer experienceUX designstartup experience

Specializations

full-stackAPI designdeveloper tools
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

San Francisco, CA, USA

On-site City