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 Nottingham 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 collaboration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer in Nottingham
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research their products, values, and culture. This way, when you chat with them, you can show that you're not just another candidate but someone who genuinely cares about what they do.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees on LinkedIn. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for you. It’s all about making connections that could give you an edge.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews by practising your storytelling skills. Be ready to share specific examples of your past projects and how you've tackled challenges. Remember, they want to see your thought process and how you approach problem-solving.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team and ready to dive into this exciting opportunity.
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer in Nottingham
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.
Be Clear and Concise:We love a good story, but keep it relevant! Make sure your application is clear and to the point. Highlight your technical skills and experiences without going off on tangents. Remember, we want to see what you can bring to the table!
Demonstrate Your Curiosity:Curiosity is key for us! In your application, mention any side projects or experiences where you explored new technologies or solved complex problems. Show us that you're not just about the code, but also about learning and growing.
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 you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team at StudySmarter!
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. Think about how you can contribute to understanding user workflows and outcomes. Be ready to discuss how you would approach extracting real requirements from customers and stakeholders.
✨Showcase Your Technical Depth
Brush up on your technical knowledge, especially around frontend vs backend tradeoffs, REST APIs, and data models. Be prepared to talk about your past experiences building things and how you navigated challenges in those projects. Curiosity is key, so share what you've learned along the way!
✨Embrace AI-Native Tools
Familiarise yourself with AI-native tooling and be ready to discuss how you would use these tools to ship software quickly. Think about examples from your experience where you’ve had to make decisions under uncertainty and how you balanced speed with quality.
✨Prepare for Quality Assurance
Quality is crucial, so come prepared to discuss how you test your work. Think about edge cases you've encountered and how you ensured your code was robust before shipping. Being able to articulate your thought process around testing will show that you take ownership of your work.
