Who we areJumpstart is a startup hiring platform partnering with a small, curated group of ambitious VC-backed startups in the UK. Our job is not to sell you roles, it’s to make sure that when you do move, it’s into a place where you’ll actually get to build, learn, and have real impact.About the roleYou will join a Seed or Series A VC-backed startup as one of the first AI / ML engineering hires, with significant ownership over how machine learning is applied in the product — from early prototypes to production systems.You’ll work closely with founders, product, and engineering to turn messy real-world problems into scalable, reliable AI-powered features, and help define the technical approach, standards, and culture around ML as the company grows.What you’ll work onMost AI roles today fall into one of two buckets:Research with no path to productionGlue code around APIs with no ownershipThis one is neither.At our partner startups, you’ll be trusted as a high-agency AI / ML engineer to build real, user-facing systems. You’ll focus on impact over novelty, and ship models, pipelines, and AI-powered features that actually work in production.You will:Design and ship ML- or AI-powered features used by real customersWork on the full lifecycle: data, modeling, evaluation, deployment, and iterationBuild and own production ML systems, not just experiments or notebooksMake decisions around model choice, tradeoffs, and infrastructureCollaborate directly with founders, product, and engineers — no research silosIterate quickly based on real-world usage and feedbackWhat we’re looking forWe’re looking for engineers who are:Strong engineers first, with solid ML or applied AI experienceComfortable taking models from idea → prototype → productionPragmatic about tradeoffs between accuracy, cost, latency, and reliabilityProduct-minded — you care about solving real user problemsAutonomous, curious, and excited by early-stage ambiguityClear communicators who enjoy working across disciplinesBackgrounds vary — some candidates come from ML-heavy roles, others from strong software engineering backgrounds with applied AI experience. Both can be a great fit.How our process works01: Apply to JumpstartApply in ~2 minutes HERE with your CV and anything you’ve built (GitHub, side projects, startups). If it looks like a fit, you’ll have a short call with our in‑house CTO. No live coding. No take‑homes. Just a chat to understand how you think as an engineer.02: Join the platformOnce accepted, you’ll create a profile and get access to a curated set of early‑stage engineering roles, all from vetted VC‑backed startups.03: CTOs pitch to youWe share your profile with 100+ CTOs in our network. Strong candidates often receive multiple direct messages from CTOs pitching their role, team, and product.04: Get support landing your roleYou’ll get access to a hotline with our in-house CTO Patrick, with 1-1 support on everything from initial interview support, to case study feedback, all the way through to final offer negotiation & support.What makes this differentUnparalleled access: CTOs pitch to you and your profile is shared with 100s of startupsCurated matching: We filter hard on both sidesSignal over noise: No mass applications or recruiter spamReal ownership: Roles where engineers shape the product and cultureUK-focused: Leading UK startups, remote-friendly or London-basedWhat you getAccess to roles that aren’t publicly advertisedOptional 1:1 prep with experienced engineers, founders, or CTOsA long-term community of builders, potential collaborators & co-founders