At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the technical direction of an innovative AI platform and evolve its architecture.
- Company: Exciting London AI startup with a focus on automation and growth.
- Benefits: Competitive salary up to £100,000 plus equity and flexible hybrid work.
- Other info: Join a sustainable startup with a vision for profitability and growth.
- Why this job: Be the first dedicated software engineer and make impactful decisions in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Senior engineer with real production AI experience and strong ownership skills.
The predicted salary is between 90000 - 100000 £ per year.
A London AI startup is building the bridge between how non-technical teams already work and the agent-powered systems that can do that work for them. The product watches how a business operates, learns its processes, and automates them without an engineer in the room. Founded by two operators who have scaled and exited businesses before, V1 is live, paying customers are in, and the £375,000 seed just closed. Burn is low, runway is healthy. The vision is a strong, profitable business, a sensible exit, and decent lives in the meantime.
You would be the first dedicated software engineer. This is a senior role with real ownership, real decisions, and real accountability. The founders are technically capable, and one of them built the product himself, but they need to move into growth. This isn’t a 9-5 and it’s not 9-9-6. You are judged on your output.
Location: London, hybrid (1 to 2 days a week in a co-working space)
Salary: up to £100,000 + equity
Interview process:
- Intro call with AG Talent
- Intro call with one of the founders to discuss the company, role, and your experience
- Whiteboarding with another founder. Two problems shared in advance, one internal, one customer-facing
- Final conversation with both founders
The role:
- Own the technical direction of the platform. Architecture decisions are yours.
- Take a PHP/Laravel codebase built at pace and evolve it into something robust and scalable. This will likely be a migration to TypeScript.
- Own the LLM layer across OpenAI, Gemini, and Anthropic, deciding what goes where and what comes next.
- Build with and alongside AI. Agents, LLMs, and automation are core to the product and to how you work.
- Speak to customers directly and translate what you hear into product decisions.
Your experience:
- Senior-calibre engineer who has owned outcomes end to end, ideally inside a startup of around 60 people.
- Real production AI experience. You have shipped LLM features into a real product with real users and dealt with what broke.
- PHP, ideally Laravel; otherwise Symfony. Does not need to be your current language. If you used it earlier in your career and the concepts are still familiar, that is enough.
- TypeScript and JavaScript exposure useful but not heavy. The platform is backend weighted.
- Workflow orchestration or agentic systems experience is a strong advantage.
- You want autonomy and accountability, not structure and sign-off.
- You like the idea of a sustainable, profitable business more than the idea of a billion-pound valuation.
- Comfortable shipping AI-assisted code and pushing the boundaries of what that enables.
Apply or DM for more information.
Software Engineer employer: AG Talent
Contact Detail:
AG Talent Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those who work at startups or have experience with AI. Use LinkedIn to connect and engage with them; you never know who might have a lead on your dream job!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially any AI-related work. This is your chance to demonstrate your expertise and passion for software engineering, so make it shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company and its founders, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their vision. Practise whiteboarding problems and think about how you'd approach real-world challenges they face.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We want to see your application come through directly. It shows initiative and gives us a chance to get to know you better right from the start. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
We think you need these skills to ace Software Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for AI: When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for AI and automation shine through. We want to see how you connect with our mission of bridging the gap between non-technical teams and agent-powered systems. Share any relevant experiences that highlight your passion!
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to customise your application to reflect the skills and experiences that align with the role. Highlight your production AI experience and any ownership you've had in previous projects. We’re looking for someone who can take charge, so show us how you've done that before!
Be Authentic: Don’t be afraid to let your personality come through in your application. We value authenticity and want to know the real you! Share your journey, what drives you, and why you’re excited about this opportunity at StudySmarter.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures it gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at AG Talent
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially PHP and Laravel. Brush up on your AI experience too, as you'll need to discuss how you've shipped LLM features in the past.
✨Show Your Problem-Solving Skills
During the whiteboarding session, focus on demonstrating your thought process. Don’t just jump to solutions; explain your reasoning and how you approach problems. This is a chance to showcase your technical direction skills.
✨Connect with the Founders
This role involves real ownership and accountability, so make sure to engage with the founders during your calls. Ask insightful questions about their vision and how they see the software evolving. Show them you’re genuinely interested in contributing to their journey.
✨Be Ready for Real Talk
Since this isn’t a typical 9-5, be prepared to discuss your work ethic and how you manage your time. They want someone who thrives in a flexible environment and can deliver results without micromanagement. Share examples of how you've successfully worked autonomously in the past.