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- Tasks: Own and build core systems for AI-driven alert investigations in production data pipelines.
- Company: Join Tracer, an innovative startup revolutionising AI for production systems.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity ownership, 30 days leave, health insurance, and team socials.
- Other info: Exciting growth opportunities and a dynamic work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by building world-class AI products with a talented team.
- Qualifications: 5+ years of software engineering experience, strong backend skills, and startup experience.
The predicted salary is between 150000 - 220000 £ per year.
About Us
Tracer is an early-stage, venture-backed startup building autonomous AI agents for production data pipelines. We are 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.
About the Role
Tracer is building agentic alert investigation for production data pipelines. We're hiring a Founding Senior Backend Engineer in London to own and build the core systems that turn production alerts into grounded RCAs and fix suggestions for a small set of high-value alerts. This role combines backend systems with product engineering and customer problems, with the goal of turning real production pain into reliable, production-grade systems engineers trust and use.
You’ll Love Our Tech Stack
- Python + LangGraph (for multi-agentic alert investigation)
- Rust (because we like systems that are fast and correct)
- ClickHouse (high-volume event + investigation history at scale)
- AWS + Terraform (infrastructure that builds itself)
- TypeScript (because front-end should be sexy too)
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: £150,000 – £220,000+ (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 (Read Carefully)
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.
Our Recruitment Process
- Introductory Call (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 Senior Backend Engineer in London employer: Tracer
Contact Detail:
Tracer Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Senior Backend Engineer 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 a referral, which is always a bonus when applying through our website.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Brush up on your backend systems knowledge and be ready to discuss your past projects. Show them how your experience aligns with the role of Founding Senior Backend Engineer.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to showcase your problem-solving skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've tackled challenges in previous roles. This will demonstrate your high ownership and product instincts.
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Senior Backend Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Specific in Your Answers: When we ask why you consider yourself an exceptional engineer, don’t just throw around adjectives. Share concrete examples and evidence of your past work that showcase your skills and achievements.
Show Your Passion for Tracer: In your application, let us know why you’re excited about Tracer and the problems we’re tackling. We want to see what resonates with you about our mission and how you can contribute to it.
Highlight Relevant Experience: Make sure to include links to your GitHub or any projects that demonstrate your backend expertise and experience with production systems. This is your chance to show us what you’ve built and how you think.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands and helps us keep track of all the amazing talent out there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Tracer
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Familiarise yourself with the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Python, Rust, and AWS. Be ready to discuss how you've used these tools in past projects and how they can apply to building reliable systems for production data pipelines.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to discuss specific examples where you've turned complex problems into effective solutions. Highlight your experience with incident/observability tooling and how you've tackled real production issues in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Ownership and Impact
Be ready to share instances where you've taken ownership of a project or feature from start to finish. Discuss how your contributions made a tangible impact on the product or team, aligning with Tracer's focus on high ownership and sharp product instincts.
✨Engage with the Founders' Vision
Research Tracer's mission and the challenges they aim to solve. During the interview, express why you resonate with their vision and how you can contribute to building a world-class AI-powered product that addresses real customer pain points.