Engineering Fellowship, American Dynamism

Andreessen Horowitz

San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on May 28, 2024

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz (aka a16z) is a venture capital firm that backs bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology. We are stage agnostic. We invest in seed to venture to growth-stage technology companies, across AIbio + healthcareconsumercryptoenterprisefintechgames, and companies building toward American dynamism. a16z has $42B in assets under management across multiple funds.

We’ve established a team that is defined by respect for the entrepreneur and the company-building process; we know what it’s like to be in the founder’s shoes. We’ve invested in companies like Anduril, SpaceX, Applied Intuition, ShieldAI, Airbnb, Databricks, Figma, GitHub, Instacart, Roblox, Stripe, and Substack. Our team is at the forefront of new technology, helping founders and their companies impact and change the world.

The Role

The a16z American Dynamism team is looking to add 2-3 Engineering Fellows for full-time, 12-month rotations on the investment team. The goal of the program is to introduce Engineering Fellows to the world of venture capital investing and startup dynamics while augmenting the technical expertise of the American Dynamism investment team. Engineering Fellows will use their technical expertise to help us identify, understand, and evaluate emerging technologies and companies, which will involve research, technical diligence, and collaborating with the investment team to refine our theses. Engineering Fellows will also have the opportunity to engage with American Dynamism portfolio companies, advising on a range of topics from solving difficult technical and conceptual problems to scaling engineering teams.

Engineering Fellows will come out of the program with a unique perspective on both the investment process and hands-on experience working with American Dynamism companies. This program is ideal for someone with a strong technical background, startup experience, and/or an interest in Venture Capital or founding a company.

Engineering Fellowship Candidates

  • We are looking for talented engineers with 2-5 years of experience working in commercial software or hardware engineering who hold a particular interest in the American Dynamism sector (defense, energy, space, supply chain, manufacturing, industrials, robotics).
  • We anticipate Engineering Fellows to be STEM graduates (BS, MS, or PhD in computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or similar) who are (or are willing to be) located in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA or New York City, NY. Candidates wishing to pursue a year-long absence from a PhD program are also welcome to apply.
  • In particular, we are looking for candidates whose technical interest and/or experience lies at the intersection of hardware and software (e.g. autonomy, controls, simulation, AI, etc).
  • The program will be a paid, full-time 12-month program (anticipated August 1, 2024 – August 1, 2025 or similar timeline).

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What happens at the end of the program?
    • The Fellow is responsible for determining their own plans at the conclusion of the program. That said, between 6 and 12 months into the program, Fellows may begin to make plans to work directly for a portfolio company, start their own company, or in limited cases, may be offered a permanent position on the a16z investment team.
  2. Is housing provided?
    • No, housing is not provided, and we expect most candidates to already be in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA or New York City, NY (or be able to relocate themselves for the program).
  3. Are benefits (health insurance, etc.) provided? 
    • Yes, this role is eligible to participate in a16z’s benefit and perquisite plans including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, vacation, and sick leave
  4. Can I apply to be an Engineering Fellow while enrolled in an academic program? 
    • Fellows may apply while enrolled in an academic program, however if accepted to the program, Fellows are expected to take at least a 12-month long leave of absence.
  5. Can I work on other projects while I’m an Engineering Fellow?
    • The Fellowship is a full-time job. Fellows may continue to pursue additional research or technical projects in their spare time, but may not be employed by any other company or firm while they’re part of the program.
  6. Is travel involved?
    • Aside from commuting to the office, we don’t anticipate much non-local travel except for the occasional all-team event or offsite (2-3x / year). When travel is encouraged or required, expenses will be covered by the firm.

The anticipated salary for this role is $15,000/month, actual starting pay may vary based on a range of factors which can include experience, skills, and scope.

This role is eligible to participate in a16z’s benefit and perquisite plans including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, vacation, and sick leave

a16z culture 

  • We do only first class business and only in a first class way
  • We take a long view of relationships, because we are in the relationship business
  • We believe in the future and bet the firm that way
  • We are all different, we recognize that, and we win
  • We celebrate the good times
  • We do it for the team
  • We play to win

At a16z we are always looking to hire the absolute best talent and recognize that diversity in our experiences and backgrounds is what makes us stronger. We hire candidates of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital or family status, disability, Veteran status, and any other status. These differences are what enables us to work towards the future we envision for ourselves, our portfolio companies, and the World.

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