At a Glance
- Tasks: Build and own core infrastructure, design APIs, and collaborate on product direction.
- Company: Join a dynamic early-stage startup with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Equity opportunities, high ownership, and a fast-paced work environment.
- Other info: Ideal for product-focused engineers ready to make a real impact.
- Why this job: Shape foundational decisions and grow into a leadership role while building impactful tech.
- Qualifications: Proficient in modern backend languages and experienced with cloud infrastructure.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 € per year.
We’re looking for a high-caliber engineer to join as a Founding Engineer. You should be deeply hands-on with code, technically opinionated, and capable of building production systems from scratch. This is a role for someone who enjoys execution but also has the potential (or ambition) to lead technology at a company-defining level.
What You'll Do
- Build and own core infrastructure and backend systems
- Design and implement APIs, data models, and scalable services
- Collaborate closely with founders on product direction and technical architecture
- Ship code fast, validate assumptions, and iterate
- Lay the groundwork for the future engineering team (tooling, processes, and architecture)
Core Technical Requirements
- Proficient in one or more modern backend languages (e.g. Python, Go, TypeScript, Java, Rust)
- Strong systems design skills — you can model real-world systems and reason about scale, latency, and trade-offs
- Comfortable building from zero — greenfield work doesn’t scare you; in fact, you prefer it
- Experienced with cloud infrastructure — AWS, GCP, or similar; IaC (Terraform, Pulumi, etc.) is a plus
- Competent with databases and data modeling — SQL and NoSQL, designing schema for scale
- Comfortable writing tests and deploying production systems — you care about code quality and reliability
Bonus Experience (Not Required, but Valuable)
- Worked at a Pre-Seed or Seed-stage startup through to Series A
- Built or deployed software used by enterprise customers
- Experience with applied machine learning or MLOps (not just academic or notebook-based work)
- Exposure to event-driven architectures, streaming systems (Kafka, etc.), or real-time data pipelines
- Frontend experience in React, TypeScript, or similar modern frameworks
What We Offer
- Early-stage equity and the opportunity to shape foundational decisions
- High ownership, zero bureaucracy — build what matters, fast
- Founders who value engineers, ship code, and work closely with you
- A role that grows with you — if you have CTO potential, you’ll have a path
You should apply if: You’re a product-focused engineer — you solve problems through code, you like building things that work, and you’ve got the technical depth to back it up.
CTO // Co-Founder // Early Stage Engineer (LLMs, Go and React) in London employer: GrowthStage
Join a dynamic and innovative startup as a Founding Engineer, where you'll have the unique opportunity to shape the future of technology from the ground up. Our culture prioritises high ownership and rapid execution, allowing you to make impactful contributions while working closely with visionary founders. With early-stage equity and a clear path for growth into leadership roles, this is an ideal environment for engineers eager to drive meaningful change in a collaborative setting.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land CTO // Co-Founder // Early Stage Engineer (LLMs, Go and React) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Build a portfolio of projects that highlight your expertise in backend languages and systems design. We want to see what you can do, so make sure your work is easily accessible online.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by practicing coding challenges and system design problems. We recommend using platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your skills and get comfortable with the types of questions you might face.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for talented engineers who are ready to take on challenges and shape the future. Your next big opportunity could be just a click away!
We think you need these skills to ace CTO // Co-Founder // Early Stage Engineer (LLMs, Go and React) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Building:When you write your application, let your enthusiasm for building and creating shine through. We want to see that you’re not just a coder but someone who loves crafting solutions and has a genuine interest in shaping the future of technology.
Be Specific About Your Experience:Don’t just list your skills; tell us how you’ve used them in real-world scenarios. Share specific projects where you’ve built systems from scratch or tackled complex problems. This helps us understand your hands-on experience and technical depth.
Highlight Collaboration Skills:Since we value teamwork, make sure to mention any experiences where you’ve collaborated closely with others, especially in a startup environment. We’re looking for someone who can work alongside founders and contribute to product direction.
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 out on any important updates. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at GrowthStage
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the core technologies mentioned in the job description, like Go and React. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you’ve used these languages to build scalable systems. This will show that you’re not just familiar with the tech but can also apply it effectively.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to talk about specific challenges you've faced in previous roles and how you tackled them. Use examples that highlight your ability to design systems from scratch and iterate quickly. This will demonstrate your hands-on experience and your product-focused mindset.
✨Understand the Company’s Vision
Research the company and its founders to understand their goals and values. Be ready to discuss how your technical skills align with their vision and how you can contribute to shaping the future of the engineering team. This shows that you’re not just looking for a job, but are genuinely interested in being part of their journey.
✨Prepare Questions That Matter
Think of insightful questions to ask during the interview that reflect your understanding of the role and the company. Inquire about their approach to building infrastructure or how they envision the engineering team evolving. This will not only engage the interviewers but also show your enthusiasm for the position.
