Lead Backend Engineer

Lead Backend EngineerLondon (4-5 Days Onsite per week)Up to £120,000 + EquityAI Startup An early-stage AI startup is hiring a Lead Backend Engineer to help build the technical backbone of a platform focused on automating complex operational workflows in a large, traditional industry undergoing significant digital transformation. The employer is building agentic AI systems that automate communications, scheduling, compliance, and operational coordination - moving beyond chat-based AI into systems that take action and execute workflows in real-world environments. The product is already live with early customers and scaling rapidly. The RoleThis is a hands-on Lead Backend Engineer position with significant technical ownership. You will: • Architect and build scalable backend systems using Node.js and TypeScript • Design APIs, microservices, and event-driven architectures • Build backend workflows and integrations powering AI-driven automation • Collaborate closely with AI, Product, and Data teams • Mentor engineers and help define engineering standards • Contribute to system design and long-term technical strategy What the Employer Is Looking For • Excellent software engineering experience • Strong Node.js and TypeScript expertise • Experience building scalable backend systems and APIs • Strong system design and architecture capability • Startup or scale-up experience (essential) • Degree educated (STEM preferred) • Strong experience with PostgreSQL and modern backend practices Nice to have: AI/LLM integration experience, cloud platforms (AWS/GCP), event-driven systems, Kafka, Kubernetes Why This Opportunity? Build production-grade agentic AI systems with real-world impact High ownership in a fast-moving startup environment Direct collaboration with founders and senior leadership Equity participation with meaningful upside Opportunity to shape engineering culture, architecture, and tooling from an early stage RSG Plc is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.