Founding Engineer | Security & AI

Founding Software Engineer | Security Technology | London London (4 Days a Week) £100,000–£170,000 + Significant Equity Most founding engineering roles are about building a product. This one is about building the company. We're working with a well-funded security technology startup that's building the software platform powering the next generation of intelligent, autonomous systems. Having secured backing from some of the world's leading technology investors, they're now looking for a Founding Software Engineer to help shape both the product and the engineering culture. You'll join a small, exceptionally talented team where your work will directly influence the technical direction of the business. From architecting new features to solving complex engineering challenges, you'll have ownership from day one. What you'll be doing * Designing and building core platform capabilities from the ground up * Developing scalable backend systems and APIs * Working across AI, distributed systems and cloud infrastructure * Collaborating closely with product, design and customers to solve real-world problems * Taking features from idea through to production * Helping define engineering standards, architecture and technical direction * Contributing across the stack where needed in a fast-moving environment We're looking for engineers with * Strong commercial software engineering experience * Excellent coding skills in Python, Go, Rust, Java or C++ * Experience building scalable distributed systems or backend platforms * A product mindset with the ability to solve complex technical problems * Confidence working in a fast-paced startup environment with lots of ownership Experience with AI, machine learning, cloud infrastructure or security-focused products would be beneficial, but isn't essential. Why join? * Become one of the earliest engineering hires in a high-growth company * Significant equity with genuine upside * Work alongside an exceptional founding team tackling technically difficult problems * Build software with real-world impact rather than incremental features * High levels of autonomy with the opportunity to shape engineering culture and technical direction * Competitive salary, excellent benefits and long-term career growth Due to the nature of the work, applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance. If you're looking for a founding engineering opportunity where you'll have real ownership, work on cutting-edge technology and help build something from the ground up, I'd be happy to tell you more.