Job Specifications
Who we are
Jumpstart is a startup hiring platform partnering with a small, curated group of ambitious VC-backed startups in the UK. Our job is not to sell you roles, it’s to make sure that when you do move, it’s into a place where you’ll actually get to build, learn, and have real impact.
About the role
You will join a Seed or pre-Seed VC-backed startup as the first (or one of the very first) engineering hires, working directly with the founders to turn an idea into a real, scalable product.
This is a CTO-type role. You’ll take ownership of the technical foundation of the company: shipping the initial product, making early architectural decisions, and helping set the engineering culture, standards, and direction that future hires will build on.
What you’ll work on
Most “founding engineer” roles are either under-scoped or over-glorified.
This one is real.
At our partner startups, you’ll be trusted as a high-agency senior engineer to build the first version of the product end-to-end, and to think like an owner while doing it. You’ll balance speed with long-term thinking, and execution with strategy.
You will:
Build and ship the first versions of the product end-to-end
Design the initial system architecture, data models, and APIs
Make pragmatic early decisions around tooling, infrastructure, and scalability
Work directly with founders on product strategy, technical tradeoffs, and roadmap
Establish engineering standards, patterns, and best practices
Move fast, learn from real users, and iterate toward product-market fit
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for engineers who are:
Senior full-stack builders with strong backend and frontend fundamentals
Comfortable owning ambiguity and making decisions with incomplete information
Product-minded: you think in terms of users, outcomes, and leverage
Pragmatic and execution-focused, with good technical taste
Strong communicators who can collaborate closely with non-technical founders
Excited by early-stage environments and genuine ownership
You don’t need to have been a CTO before, but you should be comfortable acting like one when it matters.
How our process works
01: Apply to Jumpstart
Apply in ~2 minutes HERE with your CV and anything you’ve built (GitHub, side projects, startups). If it looks like a fit, you’ll have a short call with our in‑house CTO. No live coding. No take‑homes. Just a chat to understand how you think as an engineer.
02: Join the platform
Once accepted, you’ll create a profile and get access to a curated set of early‑stage engineering roles, all from vetted VC‑backed startups.
03: CTOs pitch to you
We share your profile with 100+ CTOs in our network. Strong candidates often receive multiple direct messages from CTOs pitching their role, team, and product.
04: Get support landing your role
You’ll get access to a hotline with our in-house CTO Patrick, with 1-1 support on everything from initial interview support, to case study feedback, all the way through to final offer negotiation & support.
What makes this different
Unparalleled access: CTOs pitch to you and your profile is shared with 100s of startups
Curated matching: We filter hard on both sides
Signal over noise: No mass applications or recruiter spam
Real ownership: Roles where engineers shape the product and culture
UK-focused: Leading UK startups, remote-friendly or London-based
What you get
Access to roles that aren’t publicly advertised
Optional 1:1 prep with experienced engineers, founders, or CTOs
A long-term community of builders, potential collaborators & co-founders
About the Company
Making recruitment not sh*t. We connect the top 1% of junior-mid level talent with top startups. Looking to hire the top 1% talent? Startups get instant access to the top 1% of junior-mid level talent (handpicked from 1000s of applicants). Looking to accelerate your career at a top startup? Candidates on Jumpstart get access to roles in the UK's fastest-growing & most exciting startups, all pitched to YOU (via pre-recorded videos). We've matched hundreds of candidates with hundreds of VC-backed startups. Ready to find your ...
Know more