At a Glance
- Tasks: Own the full software lifecycle from discovery to delivery using AI-native tools.
- Company: Join a profitable, founder-led business in a high-growth marketing vertical.
- Benefits: Market-competitive salary, annual bonus, and flexible remote work options.
- Other info: Dynamic startup environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Be a founding engineer and shape innovative products that make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Experience building software, curiosity, and a user-focused mindset are key.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
Our client is a profitable, founder-led business with a decade of operating history and long-term enterprise relationships in a high-growth marketing vertical. They are now entering their next phase: expanding a technology platform built on proprietary data, deep category expertise, and an existing commercial foundation. The platform is AI-native, subscription-based, and serves organisations investing significantly in this space.
This is a zero-to-one moment for a business that already has the customers, credibility, and revenue to back it up.
The Role
The team builds software differently. AI-native tooling is used to go from requirement to working product in days, not months. This isn't about prompting your way to a prototype; it means owning the full lifecycle: understanding what a customer actually needs, shaping the right solution, and shipping it yourself.
As a Founding Engineer, you sit at the intersection of product thinking, technical depth, and delivery ownership, a combination that used to require three separate hires. This role didn't exist two years ago. AI tooling has fundamentally changed what a single person can own end-to-end, and the product team is built entirely around that shift.
What You'll Do
- Own discovery to delivery: Join customer and stakeholder calls, extract the real requirement underneath the stated one, then go build it. No handoff. No ticket queue.
- Build with AI-native tools: Use the best available tooling to ship working software fast. Know when to generate, when to edit, and when to reason from first principles.
- Make product decisions under uncertainty: Scope features sensibly, make the right tradeoffs between speed and correctness, and know when something is good enough to ship.
- Test and hold quality: Think adversarially about your own work, cover edge cases, write the test, catch the bug before the user does.
What They're Looking For
Your primary instinct should be product: you think in users, workflows, and outcomes first. But you need enough technical depth to know what's hard, what's easy, what's a shortcut that will cost you later, and how to actually build it.
No requirement to be a senior engineer; what matters is that you've built things, understand how the layers of a system fit together, and aren't intimidated by code you didn't write. Curiosity matters more than credentials.
Technical familiarity expected across:
- Frontend vs backend tradeoffs
- REST APIs and data models
- Databases and data modelling basics
- Caching strategies
- Deployment environments (staging, production, CI/CD)
- UI component libraries
- Authentication flows
- Performance fundamentals
Nice to have:
- Experience shipping in a startup or early-stage environment
- Comfort with ambiguity
- Side projects you actually finished
- Opinions about what makes software feel good to use
The Details
- Compensation: Market-competitive salary + annual bonus scheme
- Location: London-based office; team is mostly remote with regular in-person days
- Work authorisation: Must have existing right to work in the UK or EU; visa sponsorship not available
- Team: Small team of builders shipping end-to-end
Founding Engineer in Birmingham employer: LinkedIn
As a Founding Engineer at our client’s innovative and rapidly growing company, you will be part of a dynamic team that values ownership, creativity, and collaboration. With a strong focus on AI-native tools and a culture that encourages curiosity and product-driven thinking, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of technology in a supportive environment that prioritises employee growth and meaningful contributions. Located in London, this role offers a unique chance to work closely with customers and stakeholders while enjoying the flexibility of a mostly remote setup, complemented by regular in-person interactions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects and contributions. This is your chance to demonstrate your technical depth and product thinking, so make it shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to product ownership and AI-native tools. Be ready to discuss how you've tackled challenges in the past and how you approach building software from discovery to delivery.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our team. Tailor your application to highlight your curiosity and hands-on experience, and let us know why you're excited about this zero-to-one moment.
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Product:When you're writing your application, let your passion for product shine through. Talk about how you think in terms of users and outcomes, and share examples of how you've built things that truly meet customer needs.
Highlight Your Technical Depth:Don’t shy away from showcasing your technical skills! Mention your familiarity with frontend vs backend tradeoffs, REST APIs, and any other relevant tech you've worked with. We want to see that you understand the layers of a system and can navigate them confidently.
Embrace the Zero-to-One Mindset:This role is all about building from scratch, so make sure to convey your excitement for that challenge. Share experiences where you've taken something from concept to delivery, especially in fast-paced environments like startups.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to see your application and get to know you better. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at LinkedIn
✨Understand the Product Mindset
Before your interview, dive deep into the company's product and its users. Familiarise yourself with how the technology platform operates and think about the user workflows and outcomes. This will help you demonstrate your product thinking during discussions.
✨Showcase Your Technical Depth
Be prepared to discuss your technical experiences, especially around frontend vs backend tradeoffs and REST APIs. Bring examples of projects you've worked on that highlight your understanding of system layers and how they fit together. This will show that you're not intimidated by code and can contribute effectively.
✨Embrace the Zero-to-One Mindset
This role is all about building from scratch, so come ready to talk about your experiences in ambiguous situations. Share stories where you had to make product decisions under uncertainty and how you navigated those challenges. This will resonate well with the company's current phase.
✨Prepare for Quality Assurance Discussions
Since quality is key, think about how you've tested your work in the past. Be ready to discuss edge cases you've considered and how you've ensured your products are robust before shipping. This will show that you take ownership of the entire delivery process.
