Head of Engineering

Hike; Greater London; In loco; GBP 90.000 - 150.000; Tempo pieno

Vantaggi offerti da questo lavoro

London office with panoramic views

Flexible hours around core hours

Workplace pension

Equity discussions possible

Fridge and lounge

Descrizione del lavoro

Hike, hiring on behalf of a confidential client in London, seeks a hands-on engineer who can work across AI, backend and frontend. You’ll help shape the engineering roadmap in a small, well-funded team and move between technologies as the product evolves.

Versatility and clear thinking are valued as the company builds real-time speech translation for everyday conversations. You’ll be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, shipping robust systems, and collaborating with leadership to

Competenze

• Shipped products in early-stage startups and large technology companies.
• You’re still coding and can build the architecture and teams as the company grows.
• You’re curious, able to explain complex ideas clearly, and willing to change your mind when presented with a better case.
• You’ve built real-time speech or audio systems, ideally using LiveKit.

Mansioni

• Contribute to engineering roadmap and build the team as the product scales.
• Work across AI, backend and frontend to implement features as needed.
• Translate complex problems into maintainable systems that others can build on.

Conoscenze

Real-time systems

Full-stack development

Architectural design

LiveKit experience

Strumenti

LiveKit

Descrizione del lavoro

Hike is hiring on behalf of a confidential client.

Speaking different languages shouldn’t stop people getting to know each other.

Imagine two people, without a shared language, chatting as easily as old friends. That’s what this team is building: real-time speech translation for everyday conversations.

They’re a small, well-funded team in the heart of London, backed by people behind some of the technology we use every day. There’s plenty still to work out—and for them, that’s part of the appeal.

How We Think and Build

Make the Complex Simple: Difficult problems don’t always need complicated solutions. The team looks for ways to make things simpler while keeping what matters.

Think Before You Build: Moving quickly starts with understanding the problem. Question the assumptions, consider the trade-offs, then commit to an approach and make it happen.

Build Systems, Not Patches: Give each part a clear purpose and sensible boundaries, so it can develop without making everything around it harder to understand.

You’ll feel at home here if you enjoy thinking things through and turning complicated problems into systems people can understand and build on.

The role

You’ll work closely with the Head of Product and Head of AI. You’ll be expected to be comfortable across the full stack - AI, backend and frontend - and move between them as the product demands. It’s a small team, so versatility matters more than specialisation right now.

You’ll help shape the engineering roadmap and the team, bringing your own view on what the product needs next.

What we’re looking for

• You’ve shipped products in both an early-stage startup and a large technology company or comparable engineering environment.
• You’re still writing code, and know how to build the architecture and team around it as the company grows.
• You’re curious, can explain difficult things simply and are willing to change your mind when someone makes a better case.
• You’ve built real-time speech or audio systems, ideally using LiveKit.

Compensation

• Salary and equity: A competitive salary, benchmarked against the role and your experience, alongside equity. Package specifics can be discussed early.
• Pension: A workplace pension with employer contributions.

What you’ll get

Recognition and rewards for great work.

The essentials are covered: 25 days’ annual leave and a workplace pension.

London offices with panoramic views. Space for collaboration and conversation, small talk encouraged, and a quieter area when you need to concentrate.

A fully stocked fridge and a proper lounge, with people who enjoy spending time together. Food is taken seriously here.

An environment that works for you. Lighting, seating, headphones, equipment. Ask for what helps you work well.

Flexible hours around shared core hours, with protected focus time. Around three to four office days are anticipated initially.

Trust to get things done, with straightforward routes to shipping improvements.

A clear first-month plan and someone you can ask questions, so you know what’s expected and where to find help.

A team that cares about the work and enjoys the company, with socials and time together beyond the working day.

Benefits you can help shape. Suggestions about what would make a difference to your everyday life are welcome.