At a Glance
- Tasks: Architect and build a cutting-edge ambient AI product from scratch.
- Company: Join ZATAR AI, a dynamic London startup led by industry veterans.
- Benefits: Competitive salary of £140k plus equity and a chance to shape the future.
- Other info: Enjoy a hybrid work culture with opportunities for significant career growth.
- Why this job: Be part of an innovative team solving real-time tech challenges in a collaborative environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in shipping production software and expertise in AI or data structures.
The predicted salary is between 140000 - 140000 £ per year.
ZATAR AI is a London-based startup founded by ex-Stripe and ex-Plaid leaders building ambient AI to help professionals navigate high-stakes conversations. The team is developing sub-second latency intelligence that surfaces critical context from CRMs and past docs during live calls, creating a seamless "calm tech" experience for elite professionals.
Join ZATAR AI as a Founding Engineer/CTO to build a sub-second latency ambient AI product from the ground up. You will own the technical architecture—from low-latency inference systems to a minimalist Electron interface—defining the product's future alongside founders with pedigree from Google, Stripe, and Plaid in a high-velocity, London-based environment.
Why this role is remarkable
- Build the technical foundation of a company led by founders with senior backgrounds at Stripe, Google Pay, JPMorgan, and Plaid.
- Solve deep technical challenges in real-time "calm tech," moving beyond standard chat boxes to innovate with sub-second latency ambient intelligence.
- Secure a significant founding equity stake and the authority to shape the engineering culture and product roadmap from day zero.
What You Will Do
- Architect and build the end-to-end product, including a low-overhead Electron surface and the high-performance systems running underneath.
- Develop and optimize low-latency inference models and conversational intelligence pipelines to forecast intent and emotional shifts during live calls.
- Design and maintain a rapidly queryable context layer that synthesizes data from CRMs and documents to provide real-time, relevant assists.
The ideal candidate
- Proven track record of shipping 0-1 production software, with deep expertise in retrieval, graph data structures, or voice/transcription pipelines.
- High-agency builder who makes sharp architectural decisions with imperfect information and prioritises product velocity without sacrificing high craftsmanship.
- Technical leader with low ego who thrives in a collaborative, high-debate environment and values the intensity of a hybrid, 3 days/week office culture.
Founding Engineer / CTO (£140k + Equity) at ZATAR AI employer: Jack & Jill
ZATAR AI is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to work alongside industry veterans from Stripe and Google in a dynamic London-based startup environment. With a focus on innovation in ambient AI, employees are empowered to shape the company's technical direction while enjoying significant equity stakes and a collaborative culture that values high craftsmanship and intense debate. The role of Founding Engineer/CTO not only promises meaningful contributions to cutting-edge technology but also fosters personal and professional growth in a vibrant city.