Founding AI Engineer in London

Founding AI Engineer in London

London Full-Time 120000 - 120000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the development of an AI-powered platform and shape the technology direction.
  • Company: Exciting AI start-up with a focus on innovation and impact.
  • Benefits: Up to £120,000 salary, 4% equity, and hybrid work model.
  • Other info: Unique opportunity for rapid career growth in a dynamic environment.
  • Why this job: Join early to make a significant impact and build your own team.
  • Qualifications: Experience in software development, especially with Python and AI technologies.

The predicted salary is between 120000 - 120000 £ per year.

I'm working with an AI start-up that's looking to hire its first technical employee. This isn't a typical software engineering role. You'll be the person making the big technology decisions, shaping the product from day one, and ultimately building the engineering team around you. Think somewhere between a Founding Engineer, Technical Lead, and early CTO.

The business is building an AI-powered intelligence platform for insurance companies, asset managers, and security teams. The goal is simple: bring lots of different intelligence sources into one place and use AI to help customers spot risks, identify threats, and make better decisions. They're currently raising £2 million at a £10 million valuation and already have customers in place.

It's a rare opportunity to join early enough to have a huge impact on the product and technical direction, but without the risk of joining a business that's still trying to prove whether anyone wants what they're building. You'll be responsible for designing and building the platform from scratch, choosing the technology stack, shaping the architecture, building AI-powered workflows, and working directly with customers to understand what should be built next.

You'll also have the opportunity to hire and build your own engineering team, making this a genuine chance to evolve from Founding Engineer into technical leadership as the business scales. They're open to technology, but experience with Python, AI/LLMs, APIs, cloud platforms, SaaS products, data pipelines, web scraping, or building products from scratch would be useful. More important than any specific tech stack is mindset. They're looking for someone who enjoys ownership, moves quickly, likes solving problems, and wants to build something from the ground up.

Alongside a base salary of up to £120,000, there's around 4% equity on offer. I very rarely see equity packages this strong. It's a meaningful chunk of the pie and reflects how important this hire is to the future success of the business.

Founding AI Engineer in London employer: Tact

Join a pioneering AI start-up in London as a Founding AI Engineer, where you'll have the unique opportunity to shape the product and technology from the ground up. With a strong emphasis on innovation and ownership, this role offers not only a competitive salary of up to £120,000 and 4% equity but also a collaborative work culture that encourages personal growth and the chance to build your own engineering team. Be part of a mission-driven company that is already making waves in the insurance and security sectors, ensuring your contributions have a lasting impact.

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Contact Details:

Tact Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Founding AI Engineer in 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 Tact 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 Tact.

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 Tact.

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 Tact 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 AI Engineer in London

AI/LLMs
Python
APIs
Cloud Platforms
SaaS Products
Data Pipelines
Web Scraping

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 Tact.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Tact 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 Tact

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 Tact 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.