Senior Backend Architect and Engineer

We're recruiting for a senior backend architect and engineer for a Series A consumer tech startup shipping in 6 weeks. They need someone to own and build the entire backend system end-to-end: data models, APIs, integrations, everything. This is not a supporting DevOps role. It's a full ownership position on a system that's only just begun.

The situation: They've got the POC done but the backend remains the critical blocker. The issue isn't technology or missing people. It's momentum. They need someone who makes autonomous architectural decisions, communicates them clearly, unblocks themselves without waiting for consensus, and drives forward relentlessly., They don't need another thinking partner or second-opinion consultant. They need someone who can take a pile of disconnected pieces and ship them as a coherent system. Someone who's owned an entire backend in a startup and knows how to move a product forward. If you've thrived under deadline pressure, if you make decisions fast and communicate them clearly, if you're energised by driving rather than supporting, this is the role.

Do you have experience in Python?, The role. You own the backend system completely. That means designing data models for the product catalog, database, and data mapping. Building APIs that the mobile front end depends on. Integrating third-party AI services with proprietary knowledge-based tools. Managing data, validation, and pipelines. Handling security and data protection. Making trade-off decisions on the fly and explaining them to the founder. You're the most senior backend engineer on the team. You should be driving architectural conversations, spotting gaps, suggesting pivots as the product evolves, and pulling the team along with you. This is not a supporting role where you implement someone else's vision. You own the vision.

What they're building: Consumer tech AI/ML platform for product recommendations.

What they need. 7+ years backend engineering, owning entire systems end-to-end in startups Deep AWS and Python expertise Proven ability to make autonomous architectural decisions and communicate them Track record shipping under extreme deadline and resource pressure Experience designing data models and APIs for consumer products Self-motivated: you unblock yourself, you don't wait for permission

Nice to have: AI/ML product backend experience, data pipeline work, mobile API design, health care product domain knowledge, seed-stage startup experience wearing multiple hats.

The ideal fit: You're an autonomous decision-maker. You lead, not follow. You're a pragmatist who distinguishes between "production-ready" and "production-ready for our stage". You've lived the "build or die" mentality. You communicate technical architecture in plain English to non-technical stakeholders. You're humble: you take feedback and adapt, but you don't second-guess core decisions.

Commitment and logistics: Full-time workload expected for the next 6-8 weeks. If you're fractional elsewhere, minimum 3 days per week. Likely 3 to 6 months total, but heavily weighted toward the next 6 weeks. £600 to £800 per day, depending on seniority and what you bring. They value execution and pragmatism over credentials. Hybrid-team. London Office