Community Builder and Product Engineer
Community Builder and Product Engineer at Y Combinator — San Francisco, CA, US
- Company: Y Combinator
- Location: San Francisco, CA, US
- Employment type: FULL_TIME
- Salary: USD 160000–250000 / year
- Posted: 2026-07-17
About this role
Note: For this role, we are asking you to record a video about your past experience with startups, programs and community management — share whatever you think is relevant for success in this role. Please aim for no more than 2 minutes, and share the private Youtube URL in your application/message.
This is a hybrid builder role focused on growing and scaling YC’s talent ecosystem through both community-building and software.
You’ll design and run high-quality programs and events that connect exceptional people with YC startups — and you’ll also build the tools, systems, and AI-powered workflows that make those efforts scalable.
This is not a traditional events role. You’re not just organizing — you’re engineering systems around communities.
If you’re someone who enjoys bringing people together and writing code to amplify that impact, this is a uniquely high-leverage role.
TL;DR
You build communities and the software that powers them
You’ll work directly with founders, developers, and talent across the YC ecosystem
You’ll improve and extend YC tools (like Work at a Startup)
You’ll use AI to scale community engagement and hiring outcomes
You thrive in ambiguity and take ownership end-to-end
About the Team & Product
Y Combinator runs Work at a Startup (workatastartup.com), a platform that connects exceptional candidates with YC startups.
YC also operates a wide range of programs — events, conferences, and partnerships — that serve as the top-of-funnel engine for talent into the ecosystem.
This role sits at the intersection of both:
Community → bringing the right people together
Software → building systems that scale that connection
What You’ll Do
Community Building & Events
Own and run YC’s talent-facing programs: meetups, tech talks, career expos, and more
Design high-quality in-person and online experiences that connect founders and candidates
Build relationships across universities, developer communities, and emerging talent networks
Grow and nurture communities around YC — both online and offline
Act as a strong external representative of YC
Events Engineering & Internal Tools
Build tools and systems to manage, scale, and improve events and community engagement
Contribute code to YC’s internal codebase (including Work at a Startup)
Automate workflows around candidate discovery, event ops, and follow-ups
Use AI to improve matching, personalization, and engagement across the ecosystem
Prototype quickly — from scrappy scripts to production features
Ecosystem & Platform Strategy
Identify bottlenecks in how talent flows into YC startups and build solutions
Combine programs + software to create scalable, repeatable systems
Use data to measure what works and continuously improve outcomes
Expand YC’s reach into new talent pools and communities
What We’re Looking For
Must-Haves
Strong coding ability — you’re comfortable building real tools and shipping code
Evidence of building projects, products, or meaningful side projects
Ability to operate as both a builder and community leader
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
High agency — you take ownership without waiting for direction
Comfort working in ambiguity and moving quickly
Nice-to-Haves
Experience running events, communities, or programs
Experience with developer communities or university ecosystems
Familiarity with AI tools and interest in applying them to real-world workflows
Experience in or strong interest in startups
Who Thrives Here
Builders who want to have impact beyond a single product
People who enjoy both people and systems
Individuals who combine technical ability with strong taste and judgment
Those excited about shaping how communities and talent networks scale
Why This Role Is Unique
You’ll build software and run programs — not just one or the other
You’ll have access to YC’s internal tools and can directly improve them
You’ll help define how AI transforms community building and hiring
Your work will impact thousands of founders and candidates
Location & Benefits
Location: This is an in-person role at YC's campus in Dogpatch, San Francisco. This is where our users (founders, partners, and employees) are five days a week, so it’s optimal for you to be here with them. You must live in the SF Bay Area or be willing to relocate. We offer generous relocation support for those who want to move to SF to work here.
Compensation: $160K to $250K base salary, depending on experience.
Benefits: Our full benefits package includes medical, vision, and dental plans, infertility benefit, STD/LTD, life insurance, commuter benefits, flexible spending account, health savings account, 401(k) + 4% matching, generous parental leave, paid holidays, and flexible paid time off policy.
Work Authorization: Y Combinator is willing to sponsor certain employment visas in accordance with company policy.