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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape data architecture and build robust systems for cutting-edge AI solutions.
- Company: Join a VC-backed AI startup revolutionising database reasoning.
- Benefits: Founding-level equity, competitive salary, and a chance to make a real impact.
- Why this job: Be part of a pioneering team tackling unsolved problems in AI.
- Qualifications: Strong Python skills and experience with production data systems required.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with exceptional engineers in central London.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
About Native
Native is a VC-backed AI startup building the world’s most accurate AI for database reasoning. This is hard. This is an unsolved problem that, once solved, will change how every enterprise operates. We recently published our results, achieving rank #1 on the industry-standard benchmark. Our research team is based in London. Everyone has high agency, is obsessed with the problem we are solving, embraces the intensity of a 6-day week, and has the ambition to build something world-changing. We are exceptional engineers and researchers taking a novel approach to accurate database reasoning.
About the role
- This is a founding Data Engineer role, with the opportunity to shape our data and backend architecture from day one.
- Productionise research into robust, scalable data and backend systems.
- Design and build data pipelines and APIs used by internal systems and customers.
- Work deeply with databases (SQL, complex schemas, real-world, messy enterprise data).
- Design and operate data ingestion, transformation, and validation workflows.
- Own scaling, performance, reliability, and correctness of data systems.
- Design for observability, reproducibility, and data quality.
- Think through edge cases, failure modes, and system boundaries in real-world data.
- Help shape the data and backend architecture of the company from its earliest days.
Required experience
- Strong experience with Python in production data or backend systems, plus familiarity with at least one additional backend language (e.g. Rust, Java, Go).
- Experience building and running production data systems (pipelines, storage layers, APIs).
- Deep comfort working with SQL, schemas, and complex relational data.
- Experience with real-world data issues: missing data, inconsistencies, schema drift, scale.
- Comfortable turning ambiguous research ideas into reliable data infrastructure.
- Solid understanding of APIs, databases, and distributed systems.
- Engineering taste: you care about clarity, correctness, and trade-offs.
- High ownership mindset. You ship, you own, you improve.
Why join us
- This is a rare chance to join a founding team operating at the frontier of AI, with the resources to win.
- Impact: You will help push the frontier of AI-native data systems in an under-explored, massively valuable domain.
- Team: A small, collaborative, world-class research and engineering team based in central London.
- Founding-level equity + competitive salary: Meaningful ownership alongside a salary that lets you focus on building something great.
- Direction: Shape the data foundations of a new class of AI system from day one.
Culture
At Native, we look for people with exceptional engineering ability who want to win. Everyone loves building and is ambitious enough to want to change how the world operates for the better. We run towards hard problems. We are creative problem solvers who keep going until we find the underlying principle. We build systems that must be correct, robust, and trusted. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, are intrinsically motivated, and want to have a huge impact, we are a great fit.
Data Engineer in London employer: Native
Contact Detail:
Native Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Data Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those at Native or similar startups. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your data engineering projects. Whether it’s a GitHub repo or a personal website, let your work speak for itself.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your Python and SQL skills. Practice coding challenges and be ready to discuss how you’ve tackled real-world data issues.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive!
We think you need these skills to ace Data Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Data Engineer role. Highlight your Python expertise and any experience with production data systems, as these are key for us.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about AI and database reasoning. Share specific examples of how you've tackled complex data challenges in the past – we love a good story!
Showcase Your Projects: If you've worked on relevant projects, whether personal or professional, make sure to include them. We want to see your hands-on experience with data pipelines, APIs, and SQL – it helps us understand your practical skills.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity to shape our data architecture from day one!
How to prepare for a job interview at Native
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Python and any other backend languages you’ve worked with. Be ready to discuss your experience with building production data systems, as well as your approach to handling messy real-world data. Brush up on SQL and be prepared to tackle questions about complex schemas.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Native is all about tackling hard problems, so come prepared with examples of how you've approached challenges in the past. Think about specific instances where you turned ambiguous ideas into reliable data infrastructure or solved issues like schema drift and missing data.
✨Demonstrate Ownership and Initiative
Highlight your high ownership mindset by sharing experiences where you took charge of a project from start to finish. Discuss how you’ve improved systems and processes in previous roles, showing that you’re not just a coder but someone who cares about the bigger picture.
✨Embrace the Culture
Familiarise yourself with Native’s culture of ambition and creativity. Be ready to express your passion for building impactful systems and your desire to work in a collaborative environment. Show them that you’re not just looking for a job, but a chance to be part of something world-changing.
