Founding Engineer

Founding Engineer

Full-Time 36000 - 60000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
Higher - AI recruitment

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Build innovative healthcare solutions and integrate AI for women's postnatal care.
  • Company: Join Hesta Health, a mission-driven healthtech startup transforming women's healthcare.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, 25 days leave, and mentorship from experienced co-founders.
  • Other info: Dynamic startup environment with immediate, company-defining impact.
  • Why this job: Be the technical backbone of a groundbreaking startup and make a real impact.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years in product teams, strong full stack skills, and a passion for healthtech.

The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.

Our client, Hesta Health, is reimagining women's healthcare starting with postnatal care. Women spend approximately 25% more of their lives in ill health than men, representing a $1 trillion annual lost opportunity globally. Hesta is changing that, and they want a brilliant engineer to help build it. Fresh from closing their seed round, they are hiring their first Founding Engineer. You will be the technical backbone of the company — working directly with two exceptional co-founders and their founding team to ship Hesta v1 and lay the foundations for what comes next.

The Role

This is a rare chance to join a mission-driven healthtech startup at day zero and own the entire technical build. You will work across the stack — frontend, backend, infrastructure — while embedding clinical-grade reliability, data privacy, and AI capabilities from the ground up.

What you will own:

  • Build end-to-end product features across the full stack (frontend, backend, infra)
  • Integrate AI/ML capabilities — risk stratification, smart triage, personalisation
  • Build privacy-first, regulatory-compliant infrastructure (UK GDPR, NHS DSPT, MHRA)
  • Shape and evolve the architecture and technical foundations as the company scales
  • Establish a lightweight QMS to enable audit-readiness and regulatory compliance
  • Contribute to a fast, iterative product loop — design, ship, learn

Who You Are

Essential:

  • 5+ years in high-impact, early-stage product teams: you have shipped and scaled full stack products
  • Strong backend (Node.js, Python/Flask, FastAPI) and frontend (React, Next.js, Vue) fundamentals
  • ML/data science proficiency: Python, SQL, pandas, scikit-learn, PyTorch/TensorFlow
  • Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)
  • Proven ability to build data-secure, privacy-compliant infrastructure
  • Product-minded: you think in outcomes, not just code
  • Startup-ready: resourceful, comfortable with ambiguity, bias to action

Bonus:

  • Experience in women's health, digital therapeutics, or regulated healthtech
  • Deployed LLMs or predictive models in production environments
  • Familiarity with FHIR, HL7, or secure health data pipelines
  • Hands-on LLM work: prompt engineering, RAG, fine-tuning (LoRA/QLoRA)

The Package

  • Competitive salary + meaningful equity
  • Work directly with and be mentored by two highly experienced co-founders
  • Spacious office in Victoria (bike storage, changing facilities, good coffee)
  • 25 days annual leave + public holidays
  • Immediate, company-defining impact — this is day zero

Interview Process Values

Founding Engineer employer: Higher - AI recruitment

Hesta Health is an exceptional employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact in women's healthcare. As a founding engineer, you'll work closely with visionary co-founders in a collaborative and innovative environment, enjoying competitive salary packages, equity opportunities, and a spacious office in Victoria that promotes a healthy work-life balance. With a strong focus on employee growth and the chance to shape the future of healthtech from day one, Hesta offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven startup dedicated to improving lives.
Higher - AI recruitment

Contact Detail:

Higher - AI recruitment Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the healthtech space, especially those connected to Hesta Health. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.

✨Tip Number 2

Show off your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or GitHub with projects that highlight your full stack capabilities, make sure to share it. It’s a great way to demonstrate your hands-on experience and product mindset.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare for the interview by understanding Hesta's mission and values. Think about how your experience aligns with their goals in women’s healthcare. This will help you stand out as someone who truly gets what they’re about.

✨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, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step.

We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer

Full Stack Development
Backend Development (Node.js, Python/Flask, FastAPI)
Frontend Development (React, Next.js, Vue)
AI/ML Integration
Data Privacy Compliance (UK GDPR, NHS DSPT, MHRA)
Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)
Data Security Infrastructure
Product Management
Iterative Product Development
Familiarity with FHIR and HL7
Hands-on LLM Work (prompt engineering, RAG, fine-tuning)
Resourcefulness in Startup Environments
Adaptability to Ambiguity

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for women's healthcare and tech shine through. We want to see that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you genuinely care about making a difference in this space.

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of Founding Engineer. Highlight your experience with full stack development and any relevant projects that showcase your skills in AI/ML and data privacy. We love seeing how your background aligns with our mission!

Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application clear and to the point. We appreciate straightforward communication, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you a great fit for the role. Remember, we’re looking for someone who can communicate effectively across the team.

Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply 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 you’re proactive and keen to join our journey from day zero.

How to prepare for a job interview at Higher - AI recruitment

✨Know Your Tech Stack

Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, like Node.js, Python, and React. Brush up on your full stack knowledge and be ready to discuss how you've used these tools in past projects.

✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills

Prepare to share specific examples of challenges you've faced in previous roles and how you overcame them. Hesta Health is looking for someone who can think critically and adapt quickly, so highlight your resourcefulness and bias to action.

✨Understand the Mission

Familiarise yourself with Hesta Health's mission to improve women's healthcare. Be prepared to discuss why this cause resonates with you and how your skills can contribute to their goals, especially in building a privacy-compliant infrastructure.

✨Ask Insightful Questions

Prepare thoughtful questions about the company’s vision, the team dynamics, and the technical challenges they face. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if it’s the right fit for you.

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