Principal Software Engineer
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Job description
Our client, Hesta Health, is reimagining women's healthcare starting with postnatal care. Women spend approximately 25% more of their lives in ill health than men, representing a $1 trillion annual lost opportunity globally. Hesta is changing that, and they want a brilliant engineer to help build it.Fresh from closing their seed round, they're hiring their first Founding Engineer. You'll be the technical backbone of the company - working directly with two exceptional co-founders and their founding team to ship Hesta v1 and lay the foundations for what comes next.The RoleThis is a rare chance to join a mission-driven healthtech startup at day zero and own the entire technical build. You'll work across the stack - frontend, backend, infrastructure - while embedding clinical-grade reliability, data privacy, and AI capabilities from the ground up.What you'll own:Build end-to-end product features across the full stack (frontend, backend, infra)Integrate AI/ML capabilities - risk, Principal Software Engineer EdinburghAn innovative and well-established med tech company are seeking a proven technical leader to join its R&D team basedin central Edinburgh as a Principal Software Engineer.This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in the development...
Requirements
stratification, smart triage, personalisationBuild privacy-first, regulatory-compliant infrastructure (UK GDPR, NHS DSPT, MHRA)Shape and evolve the architecture and technical foundations as the company scalesEstablish a lightweight QMS to enable audit-readiness and regulatory complianceContribute to a fast, iterative product loop - design, ship, learnWho You AreEssential:5+ years in high-impact, early-stage product teams: you've shipped and scaled full stack productsStrong backend (Node.Js, Python/Flask, FastAPI) and frontend (React, Next.Js, Vue) fundamentalsML/data science proficiency: Python, SQL, pandas, scikit-learn, PyTorch/TensorFlowExperience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)Proven ability to build data-secure, privacy-compliant infrastructureProduct-minded: you think in outcomes, not just codeStartup-ready: resourceful, comfortable with ambiguity, bias to actionBonus:Experience in women's health, digital therapeutics, or regulated healthtechDeployed LLMs or predictive models in production environmentsFamiliarity with FHIR, HL7, or secure health data pipelinesHands-on LLM work: prompt engineering, RAG, fine-tuning (LoRA/QLoRA)The PackageCompetitive salary + meaningful equityWork directly with and be mentored by two highly experienced co-foundersSpacious office in Victoria (bike storage, changing facilities, good coffee)25 days annual leave + public holidaysImmediate, company-defining impact - this is day zeroInterview ProcessValues & Competencies interview (1 hour, virtual)Technical interview - 90 mins (45 min chat + 45 min live task)Final 2-hour in-person interview with co-foundersHesta strongly encourages applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.Interested? Reach out to Kelly Gauthier (kelly@highersearch.co) or George Alexander (george@highersearch.co) This company is not currently offering sponsorship to foreign candidates. If you are not able to live and work in London without sponsorship, please do not apply Similar jobs, Job Description Principal Software Engineer Edinburgh An innovative and well-established med tech company are seeking a proven technical leader to join its R&D team basedin central Edinburgh as a Principal Software Engineer. This is a unique opportunity to play a key role..., We're looking for a senior Front End Software Engineer who can be the technical go-to person in their area, offering guidance, mentorship, and hands-on expertise. You will be a proven senior who still loves to code, enjoys taking ownership of front-end decisions, and wants...