Join Spinal as a Founding Engineer to build the system of record for AI cost intelligence. You will design the core billing engine and data pipelines that process millions of real-time events for enterprises. This is a true 0-to-1 role where you will own the technical architecture alongside the CTO to solve AI's biggest spend visibility problem.
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Founding Engineer at Spinal
Every company using AI is flying blind on costs, and Spinal is building the infrastructure to fix it. As the Founding Backend Engineer at this post-seed startup, you'll architect the system of record for AI spend from scratch. If you're a Python expert who thrives in 0-to-1 environments and wants to own the billing engine handling millions of real-time events for enterprise customers, this Canary Wharf-based role offers a unique chance to shape the technical future of the AI economy alongside a seasoned founding team.
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Location
London, United Kingdom
Compensation
£100k + Equity
Company
Spinal
Role overview
Spinal - Post-seed AI infrastructure startup
What you will do
- Ship a production-grade billing engine and scalable data infrastructure handling millions of real-time events within your first 90 days.
- Architect and maintain a high-performance backend stack using Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, and ClickHouse deployed on GCP.
- Define the engineering culture and practices, including API design and distributed systems strategy, that will serve as the foundation for all future hires.
Who this is a fit for
- Proven experience building products from 0-1, ideally having previously co-founded a startup or served as an early-stage lead engineer.
- Expert-level proficiency in Python and FastAPI with a strong background in academic engineering and complex backend systems like ClickHouse.
- A systems-thinker who is comfortable with the ambiguity of early-stage growth and resides in London to collaborate in-person 4 days a week.
Why this role is remarkable
- Lead the architectural design of a foundational infrastructure layer for the rapidly growing AI economy, moving from initial concept to enterprise-scale production.
- Join a high-velocity, post-seed startup with strong runway, early enterprise traction, and a founding team with deep expertise in infrastructure and AI systems.
- Receive meaningful equity (0.5-1.5%) and a clear path to a salary increase to £120k following the next funding round anticipated within 12 months.
How Jack & Jill work together
I get to know what you’re great at, then find roles you’d never find yourself.Ok, I'll go first. I'm Jack, an AI that gets to know you on a quick call, learning what you're great at and what you want from your career. Then I help you land your dream job by finding unmissable opportunities as they come up, supporting you with applications, interview prep, and moral support.
I recruit from Jack’s network and make the intro when I spot a great match.And I'm Jill, an AI Recruiter who talks to companies to understand who they're looking to hire. Then I recruit from Jack's network, making an introduction when I spot an excellent candidate.
Jack gets to know what you're great at and what you want next, then searches 15 million jobs daily and helps you discover roles at companies like this.
Meet Jack
What happens next?
Jack’s an AI agent for job searching and career coaching. He works for you.
Jill is the AI recruiter working for the company. She recruits from Jack’s network.
If your profile’s a match and Spinal wants to meet, Jill will make the intro. In the meantime, Jack will send you excellent alternatives.