Founding Engineer

Are you an engineer who sets the standard, not just the one who ships the code? Greenworkx, a high-growth climate edtech startup, is powering 10 million people in green jobs in 10 years. We are seeking a founding engineer to own the systems at the heart of our platform - the AI tools that build real-world skills, the assessment engine that measures them, and the competency profiles and accreditation storage that prove them - and to set the quality bar for a production platform operating in a regulated sector.

Key responsibilities

• Take ownership of our AI-supported training and skilling tools: stabilising, extending and scaling them.
• Build and ship full-stack features across the learning platform, owning them from design to production.
• Own and harden the integration between our frontend and the third-party systems the platform depends on: APIs, authentication and data synchronisation.
• Establish pragmatic technical foundations: infrastructure, deployment, security practice and sound data architecture that will scale as we grow.
• Design database schemas with security and privacy built in - data minimisation, right-to-erasure and audit logging - so the platform is SOC and GDPR-compliant by default.

As the platform grows beyond e-learning, its scope will expand - richer assessment, stronger ways to evidence learner and team progress, and deeper AI-supported and interactive training built on the tools above. This next phase is still taking shape, and you will have genuine input into forming it.

What you’ll bring

• A senior engineer who works independently: 5+ years owning systems end to end across the stack (TypeScript/Next.js, Postgres) and the infrastructure they run on, bringing the engineering depth a small team needs without close supervision.
• You build fast and pragmatically: you ship quickly, keep things simple, and make sound calls about where quality matters most; which matters in a regulated, data-sensitive context.
• Fluent with AI in practice: comfortable building with LLM and voice APIs, and someone who uses AI tools well in their own work. We are not looking for an AI researcher, but for an engineer who applies these tools with good judgement.
• Robust backends and integrations: you understand how to build and maintain solid backend services and the third-party integrations - APIs, authentication and data synchronisation.
• Secure, sound data foundations: GDPR-aware data modelling and security-conscious defaults built in from the start.
• Self-directed in ambiguity: you can own a domain and set your own direction amid the shifting scope of an early-stage product.
• Motivated by the mission: energised by a product with a clear societal purpose in the UK's energy transition.

Nice to have

• Experience with LMS integration standards such as SCORM, xAPI or LTI.
• Experience at an early-stage startup, where scope and priorities shift.
• Background in edtech, energy, construction, or other mission-driven sectors.
• Familiarity with our stack: Next.js, Supabase, Playwright and Vitest, and PostHog, plus LLM and voice APIs.

Who we are and how we work

We’re a small team! You’ll report to the Product Lead. At Greenworkx, we’re building a company with both ambition and purpose. As a venture-backed startup tackling one of the defining challenges of our time, we operate in a fast-paced and evolving environment. Things move quickly here because the urgency of our mission demands it. We’re breaking new ground in how people enter and grow in green careers, which means we often face uncertainty and change along the way. We value people who are energised by this kind of environment: those who are adaptable, solutions-oriented, and comfortable with learning as they go. In return, you’ll have the opportunity to shape meaningful work that drives real-world impact and helps power the net zero transition. While the pace can be demanding at times, we’re committed to maintaining a supportive and balanced culture where wellbeing and collaboration are central to how we work.

Compensation: £65,000 - £75,000 + early employee equity

Time off: 28 days holiday, plus 8 bank holidays per year

Health and wellbeing: Access to an employee health cash plan and employee assistance programme

Hybrid working: We currently collaborate in the office two days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Flexible working: Flexibility to suit your working rhythm, including a team-wide flexible 'Freeday' every other Friday

Regular team socials: Including team dinners, board games and other activities

Work-from-abroad scheme: You'll have the opportunity to work from anywhere, up to 10 days per year

Right to Work

We are unfortunately unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Candidates must have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. Please note that we are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will close this posting once the role is filled, so early application is strongly encouraged.