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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Own the core architecture of an AI SRE agent and drive impactful investigations.
- Company: Join Tracer, a pioneering startup revolutionising AI for production engineering.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity ownership, 30 days leave, and health insurance.
- Other info: Enjoy team dinners, offsites, and a dynamic work culture focused on excellence.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI innovation and shape the future of production systems.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software engineering with strong backend and distributed systems experience.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 130000 £ per year.
About Us
Tracer is an early-stage, venture-backed startup building the open source AI SRE agent for production engineering. Tracer is backed by experienced operators and investors who believe AI for production systems will be one of the defining enterprise software categories of the next decade. Our team is small, senior, and highly execution-focused.
The Role
Tracer is building an open source AI SRE agent that automatically investigates production incidents across the entire production stack. We are hiring a Founding AI Engineer (Staff) in London to own the core architecture and ship an agent that produces grounded RCAs and fix suggestions across production infrastructure. Humans stay in control of production decisions; the agent does the heavy lifting. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role at the center of the product.
Tech Stack
- Python + LangGraph (for multi-agentic alert investigation)
- Rust (systems that are fast and correct)
- ClickHouse (high-volume event + investigation history at scale)
- AWS + Terraform (infrastructure that builds itself)
- Next.js + TypeScript (front-end)
What You’ll Do
You’ll own the core systems that turn an alert into a defensible investigation and RCA. In practice, you will:
- Architect and build the core alert, investigation, root cause analysis (RCA) pipeline in Python
- Design and implement key systems including:
- Alert ingestion + normalization
- Context enrichment + correlation
- Problem framing outputs
- Hypothesis orchestration engine
- Investigation execution runtime
- Investigation artifacts + reporting
What We’re Looking For
- 5+ years (ideally 10+) professional software engineering experience.
- Proven track record of shipping real products at high velocity
- Strong backend and distributed-systems foundations, ideally with experience in data platforms and production pipeline stacks and incident/observability tooling.
- Experience working at an early-stage startup and bonus points for having joined earlier.
- High ownership and sharp product instincts: you build what matters and cut what doesn’t.
Compensation & Benefits
Total Compensation Range: £70,000 – £130,000+ (salary and equity value)
We Structure Compensation As Follows
- Competitive base salary
- Meaningful equity ownership with real upside
- Final package depends on experience, impact, and seniority
What’s Included
- Salary + equity (equity typically ~0.3% – 2%+)
- 30 days annual leave
- Employee health insurance
- Visa sponsorship
- Weekly team dinners and socials
- Regular team offsites and trips (our most recent was Kenya)
- The satisfaction of building a world-class AI-powered product with an exceptional team
Application Requirements
We are intentionally selective. Please answer all of the following in your application. Applications that do not include these will not be reviewed.
- Why do you consider yourself an exceptional engineer? (Be specific, we’re interested in evidence, not adjectives.)
- Why Tracer? What about this problem, product, or moment resonates with you?
- Links we should see: GitHub; Portfolio, blog posts, talks, or anything else that shows how you think and build
Recruitment Process
- Introductory Call (15-30 mins): Call with our hiring manager to discuss your background, motivations, and learn more about Tracer
- Role Fit Interview (45 mins): Meet with your manager or a similar-level team member to review your working style, skills, and fit for the role
- Take-home & Competency Deep Dive (1 hour): Complete a practical exercise (e.g., case study, presentation, or technical problem-solving) to explore the role's responsibilities and expectations
- On-site meetup (Half Day): On-site interviews and team lunch at our headquarters to ask any questions and experience our office and culture firsthand
- Offer: Final decision and offer
Founding AI Engineer (Staff) in London employer: Tracer
Contact Detail:
Tracer Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding AI Engineer (Staff) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research Tracer's mission, values, and tech stack. This will help you tailor your conversations and show that you're genuinely interested in what they do.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry events. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to insider tips or even a referral, which can give you a leg up in the hiring process.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Think about how your experience aligns with the role of Founding AI Engineer. Be ready to discuss specific projects you've worked on and how they relate to the responsibilities at Tracer.
✨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, it shows you're serious about joining the team at Tracer.
We think you need these skills to ace Founding AI Engineer (Staff) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Engineering Superpowers: When answering why you consider yourself an exceptional engineer, be specific! Share concrete examples of projects you've worked on, challenges you've overcome, and the impact your work has had. We want to see the real you in action!
Connect with Tracer's Mission: In your application, make sure to explain why Tracer resonates with you. What excites you about building an open source AI SRE agent? Show us that you understand our vision and how you can contribute to it. This is your chance to shine!
Share Your Work: Don’t forget to include links to your GitHub, portfolio, or any other relevant work. We love seeing how you think and build! It gives us a glimpse into your coding style and problem-solving skills, so make it easy for us to find your best stuff.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it’s super easy – just a few clicks and you’re done!
How to prepare for a job interview at Tracer
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Python and Rust. Brush up on your knowledge of distributed systems and incident tooling, as these will be crucial for the role.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare specific examples from your past work that demonstrate your ability to ship products quickly and effectively. Highlight any experience you have with early-stage startups, as this will resonate well with the team at Tracer.
✨Understand the Problem Space
Research the challenges faced in production engineering and AI SRE. Be ready to discuss how you would approach building an open-source AI agent and what high-value alert types you think should be prioritised.
✨Engage with the Team
During the interviews, ask insightful questions about the company culture and the team’s vision. This shows your genuine interest in Tracer and helps you assess if it’s the right fit for you.