Lead Software Engineer in Manchester

Job Description

Founding EngineerManchester (Hybrid)AI Product / Mobile / SaaSThe OpportunityWere working with an early-stage, mission-led software business looking to hire a Founding Engineer to play a key role in the next evolution of their product.The business already has a live platform and strong market relevance the next phase is about rebuilding and improving the product for the AI era , with a particular focus on user experience, intelligent workflows, and mobile-first product thinking .This is a rare opportunity to join at a genuinely influential stage, working directly with the founders to help shape what gets built, how it gets built, and where the product goes next .If youre the kind of engineer who enjoys owning product problems , building in ambiguity, and turning ideas into shipped features, this is a very interesting role.What Youll Be DoingTaking a hands-on role in the evolution of the core product and mobile experienceBuilding and shipping features using modern AI tooling , including LLMs, prompt engineering, and agent-based workflowsImproving and shaping the user experience through better product thinking, architecture, and deliveryWorking closely with the founders to turn product ideas into scalable, high-quality softwareIdentifying where AI can genuinely improve customer outcomes not just where it looks good on a roadmapMaking practical decisions around architecture, integrations, tooling, and technical directionHelping establish the foundations for the future engineering roadmap and teamWhat Were Looking ForStrong hands-on software engineering backgroundExperience building and shipping real product in startup, scale-up, or high-ownership environmentsExperience working on customer-facing applications , ideally with some exposure to mobile / app-led productsPractical experience using AI in production, including areas like:LLMsprompt engineeringAI-assisted workflowsagent-based functionalityComfortable working across product, engineering, and technical problem-solvingA strong builder mindset someone who enjoys getting things live, improving products, and solving meaningful user problemsComfortable in a fast-moving, founder-led environmentNice to HaveExperience with consumer products , engagement-led products, or behaviour-driven applicationsExposure to open banking , fintech, or data-led productsExperience working as an early technical hire or in a Founding Engineer / first product engineer type roleInterest in helping shape technical direction as the business growsWhy JoinFounding-level opportunity with genuine ownershipDirect access to founders and product directionOpportunity to help shape an AI- product in a meaningful wayHigh-impact role where you can influence both what gets built and how it gets builtHybrid working in ManchesterEquity opportunity as part of the packageTPBN1_UKTJ