At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical decisions and build innovative AI-powered products with a dynamic team.
- Company: Join Jumpstart, revolutionising recruitment for startups with a fast-paced, collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, potential career progression to CTO, and a chance to shape the future.
- Other info: Work in a flexible environment focused on collaboration and real results.
- Why this job: Make impactful technical decisions and drive innovation in a rapidly scaling company.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in AI product development and leadership in tech projects.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
We're looking for a Lead Engineer to own the technical side of Jumpstart. This isn't about adding another pair of hands - it's about adding the judgement that lets a small, fast team take on bigger, harder problems with confidence. This has a potential path to Head of Engineering / CTO for the right person.
About Jumpstart: Recruitment sucks. Jumpstart makes it not suck. We help startups hire exceptional non-technical talent, fast. 5000+ candidates apply every month; we curate the top 1-2% and match them seamlessly with hundreds of startups through our platform. We've driven 1500+ hires and are scaling quickly - bootstrapped all the way with a £4M forecast revenue in 2026 and continuing to double YoY. Startups love us. Candidates love us. And with AI and an enhanced product, we think we can improve this by an order of magnitude.
About the role: Our two engineers already move quickly as a pair. What the team needs next is experienced technical leadership: someone who can make the hard technical calls, know what's genuinely good enough versus a risk we need to fix, and bring real experience to the problems where trial-and-error is expensive - AI above all. This role is for someone who is as excited by strategic ownership as they are by building. You’ll make the big technical decisions and then work alongside the team to bring them to life.
- The technical decision-maker: You own the calls on architecture, integrations and reliability, and you're trusted to say what's good enough for now versus what needs fixing. On our hardest problems, especially AI, your experience saves us months of trial-and-error.
- A builder who leads: You're senior, but you're still in the code every week. You set the technical bar by holding it yourself, and you raise the level of the two engineers around you - developing them and line-managing them, not just reviewing their pull requests.
- Product-minded, with taste: You care how the platform actually feels to use. You've got a point of view on UX and design, and you help shape what we build, not just how we build it.
- A genuine partner to the leadership team: You work across the business, not in an engineering silo, and you'll constructively challenge us where you think we've got it wrong. We want the technical counterpart to our decisions, not an order-taker.
What we're looking for:
- A senior/lead/staff engineer or technical founder who's still hands-on and wants to stay that way.
- Strong experience building AI/LLM-powered products in production.
- A track record owning delivery on large, complex projects - and the reliability and architecture trade-offs that come with them.
- Real product and design instinct, not just implementation.
- Startup or scaleup experience: comfortable with ambiguity, pace and small teams.
Our tech stack: TypeScript, Next.js, and Supabase.
How we work: Today, engineering is two exceptionally strong software engineers working directly with the founders and wider leadership team. We don’t have elaborate planning ceremonies, no process for process's sake. We care about shipping, making good decisions, and talking to each other.
Progression & opportunity: This is the foundational technical seat at a company entering its next phase. You'll own how we build and have a genuine say in where the business goes, with a potential path to Head of Engineering / CTO for the right person.
Lead Engineer employer: Jumpstart
Jumpstart is an exceptional employer for ambitious sales professionals looking to make their mark in the fast-paced startup ecosystem of London. With competitive salaries starting at £80K plus OTE and equity, alongside a culture of mentorship and support, employees are empowered to grow and succeed in their careers while connecting with innovative VC-backed companies.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Engineer
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Jumpstart or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Jumpstart.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Jumpstart.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Jumpstart that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Jumpstart.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Jumpstart and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Jumpstart
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Jumpstart uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
