Founding Engineer, Head of Engineering Designate | Full Stack | TypeScript Led
Fractional with a high chance of moving to Permanent
Location: Mostly remote with periodic in person collaboration (office is in London)
We are working with an early stage technology business operating within the supply chain intelligence space. The company is backed by an established venture builder with a strong track record of building and scaling technology businesses, and is currently in the process of securing its initial capital injection ahead of a significant build phase.
The role begins on a fractional basis, two days per week, with the expectation that for the right person this transitions to a permanent Head of Engineering position. That transition could happen sooner than you might expect. Although this move to perm is not mandatory.
The business is solving a well known but largely unsolved problem for regulated industries and operators of critical national infrastructure. Their approach is fundamentally different from the legacy platforms that have attempted to address this space, and they are building from the ground up with a modern, AI augmented engineering culture.
As the first engineering hire, you will own the foundational build of the product. That means designing and building a secure, scalable SaaS platform from scratch, working directly with the founding team and a deeply engaged design partner to translate operational requirements into working software. This is a rare opportunity to set the architectural direction of a product that has real regulatory tailwinds and a growing addressable market.
What you will be doing
Building the foundational SaaS platform from the ground up, owning all architectural decisions at this stage. Designing and implementing backend services and APIs using TypeScript and Express within a monorepo structure. Building and maintaining a relational data model alongside graph database components. Developing React based front end interfaces directly informed by customer and design partner feedback. Working within a cloud environment, AWS or Azure, with some DevOps involvement as required. Using AI tooling and agentic coding approaches as a genuine force multiplier in your day to day workflow.
What we are looking for
* A technically exceptional engineer with the seniority and breadth to own the full architectural direction of a product, while remaining the person who actually builds it.
* Demonstrable experience building SaaS products from scratch.
* Strong TypeScript across both front and back end, with experience of monorepo, Express, tRPC, and React.
* Relational database experience, with graph database exposure a strong advantage.
* Comfortable with AWS or Azure, with some DevOps awareness.
* Someone who uses AI tools strategically and can evidence how they get the most out of agentic coding workflows.
* Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to operate with ambiguity, translate customer requirements into product decisions, and take full ownership without being directed.
What you will get
The opportunity to set the architectural foundations of a product with genuine market relevance. Direct access to the founding team and a highly engaged design partner. A clear pathway to a permanent Head of Engineering role. The autonomy to make real decisions that shape the long term direction of the platform.
Rate: £800 to £1,000 per day, two days per week (does not need to be two full days - hours can be spread)
Important
Applicants must be based in the UK.
No sponsorship available.