Founding Engineer Marketplace in London
Founding Engineer Marketplace

Founding Engineer Marketplace in London

London Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Wonder Studios

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Build a groundbreaking marketplace connecting creators with fans and resources in the AI creative industry.
  • Company: Join Wonder Studios, an innovative AI-native film and content studio redefining storytelling.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, and the chance to shape the future of entertainment.
  • Other info: Collaborate with a dynamic team and access a community of 2,000+ creators.
  • Why this job: Be a founding engineer and make a real impact on the next generation of filmmakers.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years of full-stack engineering experience and a passion for AI technology.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

About Wonder Studios

Wonder Studios is an AI-native film and content studio redefining how stories are told. We partner with global brands, artists, and studios to create world-class campaigns, films, and experiences that merge cinematic craft with cutting-edge AI technology. Backed by leading global investors, Wonder recently closed a $12M seed round to accelerate its next phase of growth — expanding our team and building the future of storytelling. Our work spans entertainment, advertising, and original content (IP) — collaborating with partners such as YouTube, Google DeepMind, Universal Music Group, Campfire Studios and leading global artists. Learn more at wonderstudios.com.

The Role

We're building the infrastructure that connects creators with fans, tech companies with talent, and filmmakers with the resources they need to make extraordinary work. Wonder's Marketplace is the engine behind all of it — a platform that blends the discovery model of Apple TV with the creator economy of Patreon, built specifically for the AI creative industry. We're not just building a community. We're building the place where the next generation of filmmakers gets found, supported, and paid. Right now our Marketplace has 2,000+ members, real enterprise clients, and Wonder TV — a curated streaming platform — live inside the app. We're at the inflection point between Circle-hosted MVP and fully custom platform, and we need a founding engineer to help us get there. This is a 0-to-1 role. You'll work alongside Rick (Founding Engineer), Max (Head of Marketplace), and JD (Product & Ops) to own meaningful product surface areas from day one — not tickets in a backlog, but real decisions that shape how creators earn and how talent gets discovered.

What You'll Build

  • Wonder TV — Stage 2 and beyond: We're live on Circle (Stage 1). Stage 2 is a custom NextJS frontend reading from Circle's backend — a proper VOD experience with discovery, watch pages, and creator profiles. Stage 3 takes us off Circle entirely. You'll be instrumental in both.
  • Jobs Board: A talent marketplace connecting Wonder's creator community with brands, studios, and agencies looking for AI-native creative talent. A standalone product to design, build, and launch.
  • Creator Profiles & Roster: Public-facing profiles connected to Wonder MGMT — portfolio hosting, enquiry flows, social proof, and direct client booking. The infrastructure that makes Wonder a talent platform, not just a community.
  • Fan Film Finance: The long-term vision: fans co-financing films directly alongside the creators they follow — micro-contributions, tokenised film rights, or Patreon-style subscriptions tied to production milestones. Frontier territory. We want someone who finds it exciting.
  • Marketplace Infrastructure: Search, discovery, matching, payments, notifications, permissions, moderation — the fundamentals that make a marketplace work at scale.

The Stack

  • Frontend: NextJS, React, Tailwind
  • Backend: Node.js / TypeScript, REST + GraphQL
  • Database: PostgreSQL (as we move off Circle)
  • Infrastructure: Vercel, Cloudflare, Circle.so (for now)
  • Auth: Auth0
  • Payments: Stripe
  • AI: Fluency with AI tooling is essential — you'll be building on top of it, not alongside it.

What Success Looks Like

  • 2k → 10k MAU — Every product decision you make either accelerates or slows this. You'll own the surfaces that drive it.
  • $1M+ ARR from the Marketplace — Through Wonder TV subscriptions, Jobs Board fees, and Wonder MGMT commission. You'll build all three revenue streams.
  • Wonder TV as the Patreon of the AI creative industry — Subscriptions, revenue sharing, direct fan contributions, and film financing. The engineer who builds this well isn't shipping features — they're defining a new category.
  • Revenue per headcount — Wonder's North Star. Build infrastructure that makes the platform more self-sustaining and the team more productive.

Who We're Looking For

  • Background: 5+ years of full-stack engineering experience. Has built and shipped a marketplace, creator platform, or community platform — ideally as an early or founding engineer. Comfortable owning a feature from database schema to UI. Strong product opinions, not just engineering opinions — you care about what you're building and why. AI-fluent: you use AI tools daily and are opinionated about where they help and where they don't. London-based — we're in the Church (291 Hackney Road) and the energy matters.

The Person

  • Bias to action — ships fast, iterates, doesn't wait for perfect.
  • High ownership — treats the product like it's theirs.
  • Commercially curious — understands that great engineering serves a business outcome.
  • Collaborative — works well with product, design, and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Excited by the intersection of culture, creativity, and technology — this isn't a fintech gig.

Nice to Have

  • Experience with tokenisation, web3 infrastructure, or fan finance mechanisms.
  • Experience building video or streaming products.
  • Experience with Circle.so or similar community platforms.
  • Background in creative industries — media, music, entertainment, or gaming.

Compensation

Competitive London market rate + meaningful founding engineer equity.

Why Join Wonder

You'll join a small, ambitious team at the frontier of storytelling and technology — working alongside world-class creators, technologists, and storytellers who are building what comes next. The Marketplace you'll build will connect creators with fans, tech companies with world-class talent, and filmmakers with the tools and finance they need to make extraordinary work. It's Patreon meets Apple TV, built for the AI creative era — and you'll be the engineer who makes it real. You'll have direct access to leadership, real ownership from day one, and a community of 2,000+ AI-native creators as your users. At Wonder, we're shaping the future of entertainment. We'd love for you to help build it.

Founding Engineer Marketplace in London employer: Wonder Studios

Wonder Studios is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of AI-driven storytelling in a vibrant London setting. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and innovation, employees enjoy a dynamic work culture that fosters creativity and personal growth, alongside competitive compensation and equity options. Joining our small, ambitious team means having a direct impact on the future of entertainment while working closely with world-class creators and technologists.
Wonder Studios

Contact Detail:

Wonder Studios Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer Marketplace in London

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

✨Tip Number 2

Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work, especially projects related to marketplaces or AI. When you apply through our website, make sure to link to it. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its products. Understand how Wonder Studios operates and think about how your skills can contribute to their mission. Tailor your answers to show you’re not just a fit for the role, but for the culture too!

✨Tip Number 4

Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for the Founding Engineer position.

We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer Marketplace in London

Full-Stack Engineering
Marketplace Development
NextJS
React
Node.js
TypeScript
PostgreSQL
REST
GraphQL
AI Tooling Fluency
UI/UX Design
Feature Ownership
Collaboration with Non-Technical Stakeholders
Commercial Awareness
Iterative Development

Some tips for your application 🫡

Be Yourself: When you're writing your application, let your personality shine through! We want to get to know the real you, so don't be afraid to show your passion for tech and creativity.

Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your skills and experiences align with our Marketplace role. Mention specific projects or technologies you've worked with that relate to what we're building.

Show Your Enthusiasm for AI: Since we're all about AI at Wonder Studios, share your experiences with AI tools and how they’ve influenced your work. We love seeing candidates who are excited about the intersection of technology and creativity!

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team!

How to prepare for a job interview at Wonder Studios

✨Know Your Tech Stack

Familiarise yourself with the tech stack mentioned in the job description, especially NextJS, Node.js, and PostgreSQL. Be ready to discuss your experience with these technologies and how you've used them in past projects. This shows you’re not just a fit for the role but also genuinely interested in what they’re building.

✨Showcase Your Marketplace Experience

Since this role involves building a marketplace, prepare specific examples of marketplaces or community platforms you've worked on. Highlight your contributions and the impact they had on user engagement or revenue. This will demonstrate your understanding of what it takes to create a successful platform.

✨Emphasise Collaboration Skills

This position requires working closely with product and design teams. Be prepared to share examples of how you've collaborated with non-technical stakeholders in the past. Discuss how you’ve navigated differing opinions and reached a consensus, as this will show your ability to work in a team-oriented environment.

✨Express Your Passion for AI and Creativity

Wonder Studios is at the intersection of technology and creativity, so convey your enthusiasm for both. Share any personal projects or experiences where you've integrated AI into creative processes. This will help you stand out as someone who aligns with their mission and vision.

Founding Engineer Marketplace in London
Wonder Studios
Location: London

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