At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a founding team to build AI-driven solutions that transform real-world workflows.
- Company: Exciting startup with strong backing and a mission to revolutionise industries.
- Benefits: Equity ownership, competitive salary, and the chance to work on impactful projects.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for genuine ownership and career growth.
- Why this job: Be part of a team solving real problems with AI from day one.
- Qualifications: Strong full-stack engineering skills and experience in deploying AI systems.
The predicted salary is between 85500 - 104500 £ per year.
FDE has become so popular nowadays that it seems every AI startup has a different definition of what it actually means. This one doesn’t. This is a genuinely rare opportunity to join a founding engineering team with the ambition, backing and strategy to build a future technology leader. The best part? They’re not building another AI wrapper. Rather than starting from scratch and spending years searching for PMF, they’re acquiring established businesses and building AI-native automation directly into their workflows, meaning what you build gets used by real customers from day one.
They’re tackling a huge real world problem. Across specialist industries, highly skilled professionals still spend hours dealing with spreadsheets, PDFs, emails, reports, compliance and repetitive admin instead of focusing on the work they’re actually paid to do. The company is rebuilding these workflows around AI, turning messy manual processes into software driven systems.
For an engineer like you, that creates a much better feedback loop: you'll understand the problem → build the solution → deploy it → see it being used. You’re not building something that might eventually find PMF; you’re solving problems that exist today.
The founders have previously built, scaled and sold businesses and have already raised $10m+ from top-tier investors, giving the company serious backing despite how early it is. As a Founding FDE, you’ll work directly with the founders, CTO and founding team, owning problems end-to-end across AI, automation, integrations, unstructured data and making AI work reliably in the real world.
You’ll be surrounded by exceptionally smart, passionate builders who want to build from 0→1, and the equity will reflect the level of ownership you’ll have. However, it won’t be for everyone; there will be ambiguity, difficult technical problems and long days but if you want genuine ownership and the chance to apply AI to real businesses rather than another SaaS dashboard, this is a very unusual opportunity.
You’ll ideally have:
- A polyglot engineering background with strong full-stack ability
- Experience building and shipping AI systems into production
- A genuine love for 0→1 product and engineering
Looking for a Platform Engineering role where you can take genuine ownership of the platform, solve meaningful technical challenges and work for a company making a real difference to people’s lives? Most AI startups are building another AI wrapper around someone else's model. This is for builders who want to design and ship systems that could genuinely change how some of the world’s largest companies operate.
Whatever role you are looking for, our team will work with you to understand your unique skills, experience, career goals and aspirations.
Founding Forward Deployed Engineer employer: LinuxRecruit
At LinuxRecruit, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer by fostering a collaborative and innovative work culture in the heart of London. Our team-oriented environment encourages personal growth and development, allowing you to tackle real-world challenges while directly engaging with clients. With attractive compensation packages and a commitment to high trust and low ego, we offer a unique opportunity for meaningful and rewarding employment in the rapidly evolving field of AI systems.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Forward Deployed 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 LinuxRecruit 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 LinuxRecruit.
✨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 LinuxRecruit.
✨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 LinuxRecruit 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 Founding Forward Deployed 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 LinuxRecruit.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at LinuxRecruit 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 LinuxRecruit
✨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 LinuxRecruit 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.
