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 those who thrive in greenfield projects and want 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 strong systems design skills.
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) employer: GrowthStage
Join a dynamic and innovative team as a Founding Engineer, where your contributions will directly shape the future of our technology and product direction. We offer a collaborative work culture with high ownership and minimal bureaucracy, allowing you to build impactful solutions quickly. With opportunities for personal and professional growth, including a clear path to CTO for those with leadership ambitions, this role is perfect for engineers eager to make a meaningful impact in an early-stage startup environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land CTO // Co-Founder // Early Stage Engineer (LLMs, Go and React)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, attend meetups, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those that align with the role you're after. This gives us a tangible way to see your expertise in action.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and coding challenges. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using platforms that simulate real interview scenarios to boost your confidence.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace CTO // Co-Founder // Early Stage Engineer (LLMs, Go and React)
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 Skills:Make sure to highlight your technical skills clearly. If you're proficient in Go, React, or any other relevant tech, mention specific projects where you've used these skills. We love seeing concrete examples of your work!
Tailor Your Application:Don’t send a generic application! Tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect how your experience aligns with our needs. Show us how you can contribute to building core infrastructure and backend systems 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 quickly. 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 technical requirements listed in the job description. Brush up on your skills in backend languages like Go or Python, and be ready to discuss your experience with cloud infrastructure and databases. Being able to talk confidently about your past projects will show that you’re the hands-on engineer they’re looking for.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share specific examples of how you've tackled challenges in previous roles. Think about times when you built systems from scratch or improved existing ones. This is your chance to demonstrate your ability to think critically and execute effectively, which is crucial for a founding engineer.
✨Understand the Company’s Vision
Research the company and its founders to understand their product direction and technical architecture. Be ready to discuss how your skills align with their goals and how you can contribute to shaping the future engineering team. This shows that you’re not just looking for a job, but are genuinely interested in being part of their journey.
✨Be Ready to Iterate
Since the role involves shipping code fast and validating assumptions, prepare to discuss your approach to iteration and feedback. Share how you’ve used testing and deployment strategies to ensure code quality and reliability. This will highlight your commitment to building robust systems and your readiness to adapt as needed.
