Lead Backend Engineer
Node.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, APIs, Microservices, Docker, Kubernetes, AI/LLM Integration.
London, United Kingdom
Permanent Role: Competitive Salary + Equity
A fast-growing AI startup is looking to hire a Lead Backend Engineer to help build and scale the backend infrastructure powering its next-generation AI operations platform.
This is an exciting opportunity to join an early-stage company already working with pilot customers and building toward significant scale. You’ll work closely with experienced founders and a high-performing engineering team to design and deliver resilient, scalable systems that automate complex operational workflows.
Key responsibilities:
- Architect, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems using Node.js and TypeScript
- Design and build RESTful APIs, microservices, and event-driven architectures
- Integrate backend services with AI/LLM workflows and automation systems
- Build reliable data pipelines, background jobs, and operational services
- Lead backend engineering best practices, code reviews, and technical direction
- Mentor engineers and contribute to a strong engineering culture
- Collaborate closely with Product, AI, and Data teams on system design and delivery
- Monitor, maintain, and improve performance, reliability, and observability across production systems
Benefits of the role:
- Competitive salary + meaningful equity package
- Flexible hybrid working structure
- Opportunity to shape architecture and engineering culture from an early stage
- Direct exposure to founders and strategic technical decisions
- Fast-moving, high-impact startup environment
- Career growth within a scaling AI business
What skills, experience and qualifications required:
- 7+ years commercial backend or full-stack engineering experience
- Strong commercial experience with Node.js and TypeScript
- Excellent understanding of APIs, distributed systems, and PostgreSQL
- Experience building scalable microservice or event-driven architectures
- Strong experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP/Azure)
- Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical projects
- Comfortable working in fast-paced startup environments
- Experience with AI/LLM integrations is highly desirable
- Python backend experience (FastAPI, Flask, Django) is beneficial
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
This role offers hybrid working, with an office location based in London.
For any additional questions, please contact me directly via LinkedIn or email @ollie.bluck@harringtonstarr.com