Founding Engineer - VC backed startup (London)
Founding Engineer - VC backed startup (London)

Founding Engineer - VC backed startup (London)

Full-Time 43200 - 72000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
Cherry Ventures

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Design innovative workflows and build scalable systems for the consulting industry.
  • Company: Join a VC-backed startup with a mission to revolutionise consulting.
  • Benefits: Equity ownership, competitive salary, and a dynamic work environment.
  • Why this job: Be a founding engineer and shape the future of consulting technology.
  • Qualifications: Proficient in Python/TypeScript and passionate about user experience.
  • Other info: Collaborate with elite professionals and enjoy a high-trust, low-bureaucracy culture.

The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.

Cherry Ventures is supporting our portfolio with this hire.

Location: London/onsite

The Mission

We are building the Agentic Operating System for Consultants. The $1 trillion consulting industry is powered by some of the world’s brightest minds, yet they remain trapped in manual, inefficient workflows - spreadsheet orchestration, slide-deck assembly, and fragmented data synthesis. We are moving the industry from "human-plus-tools" to autonomous agency. Backed by a seed round from Cherry Ventures, Blue Lion, and the founders of QuantumBlack, our cap table includes angels from OpenAI, McKinsey, BCG, and Apple. We have the capital, the network, and the domain expertise - now seeking further engineering support to get there faster.

The Challenge

As one of our first engineers, you aren’t just "writing code" - you are defining the technical DNA of the company. You will:

  • Build Beyond the Chatbot: Design multi-step agentic workflows that move past simple RAG into reliable, enterprise-grade inference.
  • Architect for Scale & Privacy: Build systems that can handle the rigorous data security requirements of Tier-1 financial and consulting firms.
  • Own the Stack: Make foundational decisions on everything from our LLM orchestration layer to our deployment infrastructure.
  • Interface with the Best: Work directly with technical & non-technical stakeholders across clients & advisory teams (OpenAI/McKinsey vets) to translate elite consulting tradecraft into code.

You Are a Fit If:

  • You are a Product Engineer: You don’t need a 20-page PRD. You can take a vague user pain point from a design partner and ship a functional prototype by Friday.
  • You have "Velocity as a Habit": You believe that in a seed-stage startup, speed is the only unfair advantage. You prefer shipping a 90% solution today over a perfect one next month.
  • You are "T-Shaped": You are deeply technical in Python/Typescript and LLM frameworks (PydanticAI, LangGraph, etc.), but you also care about UI polish and user ergonomics.
  • You have High Agency: When you hit a wall with an undocumented API or a hallucinating model, you find a way around it, over it, or through it.

Our Stack

  • Languages: Python, TypeScript
  • AI/Data: Pydantic / LLM Frameworks, LiteLLM, ElasticSearch
  • Frontend: React / Tailwind

Why Join Us?

  • Real Ownership: Significant founding-level equity. You will own a meaningful piece of the company you are building.
  • Elite Peer Group: Join a team that has lived this problem at the highest levels of global consulting and AI research.
  • High Trust / Low Bureaucracy: We value clarity of thought and bias to action. No middle management, no pointless meetings - just building.

Cherry Ventures is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status.

Founding Engineer - VC backed startup (London) employer: Cherry Ventures

As a Founding Engineer at our VC-backed startup in London, you will be part of a dynamic team that values innovation and speed, offering you real ownership through significant equity. Our work culture prioritises high trust and low bureaucracy, allowing you to make impactful decisions without the constraints of middle management. With access to an elite peer group and opportunities for rapid personal and professional growth, this role is perfect for those looking to shape the future of consulting technology in a collaborative environment.
Cherry Ventures

Contact Detail:

Cherry Ventures Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer - VC backed startup (London)

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those connected to the startup scene. Attend meetups, tech talks, or even online webinars. You never know who might have a lead on that perfect Founding Engineer role!

✨Tip Number 2

Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best projects, especially those that demonstrate your ability to build and innovate quickly. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and showcases your technical prowess in Python and TypeScript.

✨Tip Number 3

Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job postings to appear. Reach out directly to startups you admire, like us at StudySmarter, and express your interest. A well-crafted email can go a long way in getting your foot in the door.

✨Tip Number 4

Prepare for interviews by understanding the company’s mission and challenges. For a role like Founding Engineer, be ready to discuss how you can contribute to building scalable systems and solving real-world problems. We love candidates who can think on their feet!

We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer - VC backed startup (London)

Python
TypeScript
LLM Frameworks
PydanticAI
LangGraph
React
Tailwind
Data Security
System Architecture
Prototype Development
User Interface Design
Stakeholder Communication
Problem-Solving
Agility in Development

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Passion: When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through. We want to see that you’re genuinely excited about building something impactful in the consulting industry. Share why this mission resonates with you!

Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience and skills that align with our needs. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so showcase your technical prowess in Python, TypeScript, and LLM frameworks. Be specific!

Be Concise and Clear: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and fluff. Use bullet points if it helps convey your message better. Remember, we’re all about speed and efficiency!

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 you don’t miss any important updates. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!

How to prepare for a job interview at Cherry Ventures

✨Understand the Mission

Before your interview, dive deep into the company's mission of transforming the consulting industry. Familiarise yourself with the challenges they face and think about how your skills can contribute to building the Agentic Operating System. This will show your genuine interest and help you connect your experience to their goals.

✨Showcase Your Product Engineering Skills

Prepare to discuss specific examples where you've taken vague user pain points and turned them into functional prototypes quickly. Highlight your ability to prioritise speed over perfection, as this aligns perfectly with the startup's culture of 'Velocity as a Habit'.

✨Demonstrate Technical Proficiency

Brush up on your knowledge of Python, TypeScript, and relevant LLM frameworks like PydanticAI. Be ready to discuss your experience with these technologies and how you've used them in past projects. They’ll want to see that you can own the stack and make foundational decisions.

✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Scenarios

Expect to face technical challenges during the interview. Think of scenarios where you've encountered obstacles, such as undocumented APIs or model issues, and how you overcame them. This will showcase your high agency and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for a founding engineer role.

Founding Engineer - VC backed startup (London)
Cherry Ventures

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