At a Glance
- Tasks: Build an AI-driven insurance brokerage from scratch with full ownership of projects.
- Company: Join a venture-backed team of experts reshaping the insurance industry.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, and a fast-paced work environment.
- Other info: Dynamic startup culture with opportunities for rapid career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a trillion-dollar industry with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 5-10 years of full-stack engineering experience and a passion for AI.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
TLDR
This isn't a regular engineering job given the autonomy, pace and progression path available.
We’re looking for a full-stack engineer to help build an agentic commercial insurance brokerage from the ground up.
Venture-backed team comprising repeat founders and experts in insurance technology and broking.
Why Vara
Businesses buy over $1 trillion of commercial insurance every year, and around 90% of it is still run by hand.
At Vara, we’re building a UK commercial insurance brokerage where we’d like 90% of it to be run by agents.
We’re doing that in two ways.
First, we’re making the professionals who help businesses buy insurance 10x more efficient than they are today.
Second, we’re building for a world where businesses start their insurance journey with AI: Claude, Chat GPT or Grok, or a personal assistant like Muse or Instinct that already knows their business.
You’ll have extreme ownership and autonomy building the AI operating and distribution system that will reshape a trillion-dollar industry, alongside a low-ego, high-velocity team.
What you’ll do (key list below but be ready to adapt to what is required given you will be the tech stack):
- Own products end to end: work with our brokers, shape the requirements, then build the frontend, backend, agents and evals.
- Build for AI-first distribution: connectors, structured APIs and MCP integrations so that AI platforms and personal assistants can ask the right questions and get a quote from Vara.
- Turn broking expertise into code: risk gathering, submission packaging, market comparison, insurer chasing, renewal prep.
- Build voice agents that take client and insurer calls and hand over cleanly to a broker.
- Own the number, not the feature. "Quote turnaround went from three days to four hours" beats "we shipped the thing."
Who you are
- 5-10 years' experience
- A full-stack engineer who has built production systems that real people depend on
- You’ve shipped agentic systems to production, not demos (side projects count)
- You have sharp product instincts and would rather watch a broker work than guess
- You’re fast and passionate about using AI coding tools
- You care more about commercial impact than elegant code
- You’re willing to learn insurance properly
Experience level matters less than the quality of your thinking and what you’ve shipped.
Bonus: MCP and agent integrations, voice AI, RAG, evals, document extraction, early-stage experience.
The honest bit: insurance is unglamorous and full of detail that matters, with insurer portals that are decades old.
We’re regulated, so some things have to be right, not roughly right.
And we’re early: small codebase, few conventions, not many people to ask at 6pm.
Base salary plus equity will be discussed in first call.
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Founding Full-Stack Engineer, AI Agents in Milton Keynes employer: Vara
Vara provides a unique opportunity for engineers to work on groundbreaking projects in the insurance sector, emphasizing autonomy and rapid development. Employees can expect a collaborative culture with a focus on innovation and efficiency, making it an attractive workplace for those looking to make a significant impact.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Full-Stack Engineer, AI Agents in Milton Keynes
✨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 Vara 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 Vara.
✨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 Vara.
✨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 Vara 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 Full-Stack Engineer, AI Agents in Milton Keynes
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 Vara.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Vara 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 Vara
✨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 Vara 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.
