At a Glance
- Tasks: Build an AI-powered platform from scratch and shape its future.
- Company: Join a stealth mode startup with experienced founders in risk and intelligence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous equity, and a hybrid work model.
- Other info: Be part of a small team and influence product and culture from day one.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by creating innovative solutions for complex challenges.
- Qualifications: Experience in data-intensive products and comfort with both frontend and backend systems.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 120000 £ per year.
Most early stage startups are building another workflow tool, dashboard, or productivity platform. This isn’t that. We’re working with a stealth mode startup building an AI powered intelligence platform designed to help organisations identify, understand, and respond to complex external risks. The founders bring deep expertise from intelligence, risk, and financial services, and have already secured strong early market interest.
They’re now looking for their first engineering hire. You’ll work directly with the founders to take a product from concept to reality, owning everything from architecture and infrastructure through to AI workflows, data pipelines, and customer facing applications. Think large scale signal ingestion, entity resolution, AI powered synthesis layers, real time data processing, and turning huge volumes of noisy information into something a customer can actually act on.
What you’ll be doing:
- Building a product from 0 to 1 alongside the founders
- Designing and developing full stack applications using modern JavaScript and Python/Node.js ecosystems
- Building AI powered workflows and intelligent data processing systems
- Working directly with customers to understand problems and shape solutions
- Making key architectural decisions that will influence the long term direction of the business
- Owning infrastructure, deployment, scalability, and reliability from day one
What they’re looking for:
- Experience building data intensive products or platforms
- Comfort operating across both frontend and backend systems
- Exposure to AI products, LLM integrations, or intelligent automation workflows
- Someone who enjoys ambiguity, autonomy, and ownership
- A builder who wants meaningful influence over product, technology, and company direction
The team is small and the opportunity to shape both the product and engineering culture from day one is real! If you’d rather build the first version of something important than optimise the fifteenth version of something established, this could be worth a conversation.
Founding Engineer in City of London employer: SR2
Join a pioneering stealth mode startup in London, where you'll have the unique opportunity to shape an AI-powered intelligence platform from the ground up. With a strong focus on innovation and autonomy, our work culture fosters collaboration and creativity, allowing you to make meaningful contributions alongside experienced founders. Enjoy competitive compensation, generous equity, and the chance to influence both product development and engineering culture in a dynamic environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer in City of London
✨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 SR2 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 SR2.
✨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 SR2.
✨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 SR2 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 Engineer in City of London
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 SR2.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at SR2 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 SR2
✨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 SR2 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.
