Chief Technology Officer

Founding AI Engineer / Technical CTO AI / Machine Learning / Backend Engineering £90,000–£100,000 + Equity London – Hybrid OR Remote Working within UK I'm currently working with an early-stage, well-funded tech startup who are looking for a Founding AI Engineer/CTO to join their growing team in London. They are building a next-generation used across various social media and events platforms. With a strong product vision and MVP already in place, they are now looking for their first senior technical hire to shape the future of the platform. In this role, you will take ownership of the core technology across a wide range of areas - focusing on developing and enhancing the platform, building and scaling AI-driven matching systems, improving data-driven feedback loops and designing a robust, privacy-first architecture. You’ll work closely with the founders to define the technical direction and will play a key role in building out the engineering team as the company grows across 2026. The role is based in London and although their preference would be once a week in the office, they can offer fully remote within the UK. Key Responsibilities Design and build AI/ML-powered matching or recommendation systems Develop scalable backend systems in Express Work in full stack environment using Typescript & Nextjs Confident working on Cloud technologies preferably GCP Create and optimise feedback loops to continuously improve platform outcomes Ensure high standards of performance, reliability, and data security Contribute to technical strategy and architecture decisions Support the transition from individual contributor to team leadership as the company scales Collaborate closely with product and leadership teams to shape the roadmap Required Skills & Experience Strong experience building and deploying production AI/ML systems Solid backend or full-stack engineering experience using Nextjs, Typescript, Express Strong understanding of system design, scalability, and performance optimisation Experience leading projects or teams, or readiness to step into a leadership role Experience working on high-impact, user-facing products Desirable Experience within consumer platforms such as social media or events Exposure to behavioural data, user modelling, or network-based systems Background in early-stage startups or building products from zero to one Familiarity with privacy-first design and secure data architectures Salary: £90,000–£100,000 + Equity Benefits: Equity, Pension, Flexible Working If this role sounds of interest, then please apply and I can give you a call. Tim Stock (url removed) (phone number removed) / (phone number removed)