Founding Data Engineer

We’re working with a high-growth Series A startup operating at the intersection of eCommerce and Fintech, building a product that is redefining how people shop online.
Their proposition removes friction from the buying experience — allowing customers to try before they buy, without upfront payment — bringing a more natural, in-store experience into the home.
The business is scaling quickly, with strong commercial traction and increasing complexity behind the scenes.
And that complexity is now centred around data.
Why this role exists
Data sits at the heart of the business — spanning customer behaviour, payments, returns, and partner performance.
As the company has grown, the volume and importance of that data has outpaced the underlying infrastructure. Multiple sources, evolving definitions, and increasing reliance from across the business have created the need for a more robust, scalable foundation.
They are now looking to hire a Founding Data Engineer to take ownership of that foundation.
This is a pivotal hire — someone who can design, build, and define how data is structured, trusted, and used across the company.
The opportunity
This is not a role focused purely on pipelines or reporting.
You will own the data environment end-to-end — shaping the architecture, defining standards, and enabling the wider business to make better decisions through reliable, well-structured data.
You’ll work closely with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, helping translate real-world business questions into clean, usable data models.
The company has also introduced an AI-assisted querying layer to make data accessible across the organisation. A key part of your role will be ensuring the outputs from that layer are accurate, well-defined, and trustworthy.
What they’re looking for
They’re interested in individuals who have taken ownership of data infrastructure in a production environment and are comfortable designing for scale.
Strong SQL and experience with modern data tooling (e.g. orchestration, warehousing, ETL/ELT) are expected.
Beyond that, the key differentiator is mindset.
They are looking for someone who:
* Thinks beyond implementation and understands the commercial impact of data
* Is naturally curious and engaged in how data is used across a business
* Is comfortable working in an environment where not everything is defined
* Takes ownership and is motivated by building things properly
Environment
You’ll be joining a business at a stage where:
* The product is established and scaling
* The data challenges are real and increasingly complex
* The foundations are still being defined
This offers a balance of ownership and stability — the opportunity to shape something meaningful, without the uncertainty of a true greenfield environment.
Tech (for context)
A modern, cloud-based data stack including a mix of structured and unstructured data sources, orchestration tooling, and distributed storage.
RDS Postgres, MongoDB, AWS Athena, Parquet, AWS Glue, Airflow, Python, Docker, S3, GraphQL, REST. You won't know all of it, you'll be strong in your core area and curious about the rest.
Nice to have: Python proficiency, CI/CD for data workflows, graph database experience (Neo4j), startup or early-stage background.
Depth in your core area is more important than experience across every tool.
Package
* Competitive salary + equity
* Hybrid working (London-based)
* Strong exposure to leadership and decision-making
* Opportunity to play a foundational role in a scaling business
Process
The process is designed to assess both technical capability and how you think about problems:
1. Initial application + 3 short competency questions
2. Introductory conversation
3. Technical discussion
4. In-person working session based on a real-world scenario
5. Offer
Why this process matters
The role requires more than technical delivery. The team is specifically looking for individuals who show curiosity, initiative, and a genuine interest in how data drives business decisions — not just how it is built.
Interested?
If you’re looking for a role where you can build, own, and genuinely influence, this is worth a conversation.
Apply or get in touch for a confidential discussion.
EHS Partners Limited, Edison Hill Search & Edison Hill Scale are operating and advertising as an Employment Agency for permanent positions and as an Employment Business for interim / contract / temporary positions. EHS Partners Limited are an Equal Opportunities employer and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Please apply below at your earliest convenience