Lead Engineer

Lead Engineer / Engineering Lead

High-growth AI x Investment Technology Startup | London | Full-time (Hybrid c. 3/4 days)

In short

Our client is building an intelligent AI platform that will redefine how investors access, analyse, execute and manage alternative assets (e.g., Private Equity, Private Credit). With an MVP in market and backing secured from a strong group of investors and industry operators, we’re now looking for an exceptional Lead Engineer / Engineering Lead to help scale a category-defining product.

Do you want to join a fast-paced, high-trust startup at the intersection of AI and finance? Stay hands-on, build from the ground up, and grow a world-class engineering function around you?

About the company

This is an early-stage London startup modernising how institutional and sophisticated investors operate in alternative assets — a multi-trillion-dollar market that remains under-served by modern software.

The product leverages LLMs, AI automation, and agentic workflows to streamline complex due diligence and investment processes, helping users move faster with more confidence.

Who we’re looking for

We’re seeking a Lead Engineer who thrives in a high-ownership environment and loves all things AI. You’ll be coding from day one, setting technical standards, shaping architecture, and building the foundations of a platform that’s transforming how investment decisions get made.

You’ll likely enjoy this role if you:

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Take initiative and deliver without needing heavy direction

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See complexity as an opportunity to simplify and innovate

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Lead by doing and aren’t afraid to get into the weeds

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Want to grow, build, and lead from the front

What you’ll do

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Own and evolve the architecture of an AI-driven investment intelligence platform

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Stay hands-on across the stack: front-end UX/UI, backend services, AI integrations, and infrastructure

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Partner closely with the CTO, product, and data/ML stakeholders to ship intelligent automation and decision-support tools

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Hire, mentor, and develop a small, elite engineering team; set the cultural and technical bar

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Drive technical strategy across scalability, security, and reliability, while remaining deeply involved in delivery

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Evaluate and integrate emerging AI tooling and (where relevant) blockchain frameworks to keep the platform ahead of the curve

Must-haves

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5+ years’ commercial software engineering experience, including 2+ years in a technical/team lead capacity

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Strong ownership mindset; clear communicator who executes and raises the bar through action

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Strong Node.js, React, TypeScript experience. Python for AI workflows and automation.

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Experience with AI/LLM frameworks (e.g., LangChain, Vertex AI, LiteLLM, OpenAI APIs)

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Hands-on GCP experience plus DevOps best practices (observability, monitoring, scaling)

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Experience designing/maintaining CI/CD pipelines; familiarity with SaaS platform architecture

Nice-to-haves

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Familiarity with RAG, autonomous agents, and/or Model Context Protocol (MCP)

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Experience with blockchain platforms, tokenisation frameworks, or Web3 integrations

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Domain exposure to fintech, asset management, or due diligence automation

Why join

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Build a platform shaping the future of investing in alternative assets through AI-driven automation

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Work hands-on from day one: design, build, ship, and set the technical standard

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Collaborate closely with an experienced CTO and leadership team

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Build and lead the engineering function as the company scales

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High impact: your architecture, code, and leadership will directly shape product and growth

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Join a mission-driven startup with strong early backing, moving quickly with ambition and autonomy