At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us as a hands-on CTO, building core infrastructure and backend systems.
- Company: Be part of an innovative startup shaping the future of technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy early-stage equity, high ownership, and a fast-paced work environment.
- Why this job: This role offers growth potential and the chance to make impactful decisions.
- Qualifications: Proficiency in modern backend languages and strong systems design skills required.
- Other info: Ideal for engineers who thrive in greenfield projects and value code quality.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
We’re looking for a high-caliber engineer to join as a CTO. You should be deeply hands-on with code, technically opinionated, and capable of building production systems from scratch. This is a role for someone who enjoys execution but also has the potential (or ambition) to lead technology at a company-defining level.
What You'll Do
- Build and own core infrastructure and backend systems
- Design and implement APIs, data models, and scalable services
- Collaborate closely with founders on product direction and technical architecture
- Ship code fast, validate assumptions, and iterate
- Lay the groundwork for the future engineering team (tooling, processes, and architecture)
Core Technical Requirements
- Proficient in one or more modern backend languages (e.g. Python, Go, TypeScript, Java, Rust)
- Strong systems design skills — you can model real-world systems and reason about scale, latency, and trade-offs
- Comfortable building from zero — greenfield work doesn’t scare you; in fact, you prefer it
- Experienced with cloud infrastructure — AWS, GCP, or similar; IaC (Terraform, Pulumi, etc.) is a plus
- Competent with databases and data modeling — SQL and NoSQL, designing schema for scale
- Comfortable writing tests and deploying production systems — you care about code quality and reliability
Bonus Experience (Not Required, but Valuable)
- Worked at a Pre-Seed or Seed-stage startup through to Series A
- Built or deployed software used by enterprise customers
- Experience with applied machine learning or MLOps (not just academic or notebook-based work)
- Exposure to event-driven architectures, streaming systems (Kafka, etc.), or real-time data pipelines
- Frontend experience in React, TypeScript, or similar modern frameworks
What We Offer
- Early-stage equity and the opportunity to shape foundational decisions
- High ownership, zero bureaucracy — build what matters, fast
- Founders who value engineers, ship code, and work closely with you
- A role that grows with you — if you have CTO potential, you’ll have a path
You should apply if: You’re an engineer first — you solve problems through code, you like building things that work, and you’ve got the technical depth to back it up.
Technical Co-Founder // Startup CTO (Go and React) employer: Nihires
Contact Detail:
Nihires Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Co-Founder // Startup CTO (Go and React)
✨Tip Number 1
Showcase your hands-on coding experience by discussing specific projects where you've built production systems from scratch. Highlight any greenfield work you've done, as this aligns perfectly with what we're looking for.
✨Tip Number 2
Emphasise your ability to design scalable systems and APIs. Be prepared to discuss your thought process and the trade-offs you considered in previous projects, as this will demonstrate your technical opinionation.
✨Tip Number 3
If you have experience with cloud infrastructure, make sure to mention it! Discuss any specific tools or platforms you've used, like AWS or GCP, and how you've implemented Infrastructure as Code (IaC) in your past roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to talk about your vision for building a future engineering team. Share your thoughts on tooling, processes, and architecture that you believe are essential for a successful startup environment.
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Co-Founder // Startup CTO (Go and React)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience with backend languages like Go and your proficiency in systems design. Emphasise any greenfield projects you've worked on, as this aligns with the company's needs.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for building production systems from scratch. Mention specific projects where you collaborated closely with founders or led technical architecture decisions.
Showcase Relevant Experience: Include examples of your work with cloud infrastructure and databases. If you have experience with event-driven architectures or machine learning, make sure to highlight these as they are valuable bonuses.
Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, provide examples of how you've solved complex problems through code. This will show that you are an engineer first and align with the company's values.
How to prepare for a job interview at Nihires
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Be prepared to discuss your proficiency in backend languages like Go or Python. Bring examples of your past work, especially any greenfield projects, to demonstrate your hands-on coding abilities and systems design skills.
✨Understand the Company’s Vision
Research the startup's mission and product direction. Be ready to discuss how your technical expertise can align with their goals and how you can contribute to shaping the technology at a company-defining level.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Questions
Expect to face technical challenges during the interview. Practice solving real-world problems that involve system design, scalability, and trade-offs, as this will showcase your ability to think critically and execute effectively.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Potential
Even if you're applying for a hands-on role, show that you have the ambition to lead. Discuss your vision for building a future engineering team and how you would lay the groundwork for processes and architecture that support growth.