Senior Software Engineer - Backend

⚠️ Heads up: We're not actively hiring right now. We've planned out our hiring for the next quarter or two, and roles will reopen as the team grows. We've kept this open so we can keep meeting people we'd love to work with - when a role opens that matches you, we'll reach out.

About Kernel

Enterprise AI only works when the underlying data is accurate - but most CRMs are filled with duplicates, broken hierarchies, and outdated information that undermine forecasting, territory planning, and AI deployments.

We've raised a $14M Series A from top VCs and operators at Plaid, OpenAI, Slack and others to solve this with Agentic Company Data - the AI-native alternative to Dun & Bradstreet.

RevOps teams at Gong, Navan, Mistral, AlphaSense, and Zip use Kernel to eliminate duplicates, fix hierarchies, and deliver the accuracy they need to operate with confidence. What a RevOps expert can do manually for a single record, Kernel can do safely at scale for an entire CRM. Our platform gives teams confidence in the data foundation that powers enterprise decision-making and AI.

Why This Exists

At Kernel, we're always excited to connect with exceptional people who are passionate about building, scaling, and shipping at intensity. This Talent Pool isn't for a specific open role - it's a way for us to stay in touch with high-impact people who could be a strong fit for future opportunities at Kernel as the team grows.

Whether your expertise lies in Engineering, Product, or GTM, we'd love to hear from you.

We currently review applications here roughly once a week.

👉 Roles We Typically Hire For

At the application question stage, you'll be asked to tick the areas you're interested in.

• Engineering - Product Engineers (frontend / backend), Engineering Managers, Forward-Deployed Engineers

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• Product - Product Managers, Product Designers, Product Operations
• GTM - Account Executives, Account Managers, Sales Engineers, BDRs
  
  

🚀 What We Look For

Regardless of function, the people who do well at Kernel:

• Are ambitious and love intensity - they're motivated by the pace and stakes of an early-stage company, no task is too small, and they're hungry to grow fast alongside the team.
• Want to be at a startup - whether it's your first one or your fifth, you've shown clear intent to join a small, fast-moving team and you're energised by ambiguity.
• Take real ownership - they own outcomes end-to-end and are happy to wear multiple hats to get the job done, whatever the day requires.
• Move fast and learn from doing - they'd rather try something, see what happens, and improve from there than wait until everything is perfect. Speed of learning matters more than getting it right first time.
• Are strong communicators - they share context generously, raise issues early, and are comfortable giving and receiving direct feedback. It's how we move fast without losing clarity.
  
  

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🚨 Important to Know

• Working location: Minimum 4 days a week in our London (Borough) office. Most people do 5.
• Hours: This is an exciting but intense environment. Kernel is growing extremely fast and hours can often be long. Many of our customers are on the West Coast, and meetings can be held late in the evening.
• Pace: We move fast and ship constantly. If you need long roadmaps and perfect specs before you start, this won't be the right environment.
  
  

What We Offer

We will do our best to offer you a ride of a lifetime. It will not be easy, but it will be thrilling.

• 💰 Salary: Competitive base + equity (set per role and level)
• 🗓️ 24 days holiday per year + bank holidays

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• ✈️ 2 weeks work-from-anywhere
• 💼 Pension plan
• 💻 Top-spec equipment and central London office
• 🍽️ Dinner provided when working past 6 pm
• 🎉 Team events and dinners
• 🚀 A fast-paced ride in the early innings of a new technology wave
  
  

🎫 Visas & Relocation

We generally require candidates to have the right to work in the UK. For exceptional candidates, we may offer visa sponsorship and relocation support.

📝 What Happens Next

We review applications here about once a week. If there's a strong match with a role we're about to open, we'll reach out for an intro chat. If not right now, we'll keep your details on file and circle back when something opens that fits 🙌