Founding Engineering Team Lead (HandsOn)

unded cybersecurity startup in Berlin is looking for a Engineering Team Lead to join as a founding team member and help design the core security, identity, and enforcement foundations of a next-generation AI-powered risk management platform. We are an early-stage startup founded by experienced cybersecurity leaders with backgrounds in Israeli intelligence units. We are looking for a hands-on Founding Engineering Team Lead for a hybrid role based in central Berlin. If you are passionate about cybersecurity and AI, thrive in fast-paced startup environments, and enjoy building complex platforms from the ground up, this is an opportunity to make a real impact. They’re building a next-generation cyber risk platform that helps enterprises understand, measure, and reduce identity risk at scale. Their goal is to turn complex identity and security data into clear, actionable risk insights that CISOs and CTOs can trust. You will work from scratch on core platform components from day one, shaping how modern enterprises manage and reason about risk using cloud-native systems, AI-driven analysis, and automated enforcement through AI agents. • Lead and grow a small, high-performing engineering team while remaining hands-on Design, build, and review production backend and platform code alongside the teamOwn delivery of the engineering roadmap, balancing speed, quality, and securityAct as a technical leader by setting architecture direction and enforcing engineering standardsContribute directly to critical features, integrations, and platform foundationsEstablish lightweight engineering processes that enable fast execution without bureaucracyMentor engineers through code reviews, pairing, and technical guidanceContribute hands-on in design and build architecture, configure systems, code 70% of the time in GoLang.Remove blockers and unblock delivery across backend, frontend, data, and DevOpsCollaborate closely with CEO, CPTO, and product leadership on technical and execution decisionsSupport hiring, onboarding, and technical evaluation of engineersFoster a culture of ownership, pragmatism, and low egoBuild whole Security platform setup from scratchPartner closely with backend and AI engineers to design secure service boundaries and deployment modelsTroubleshoot and resolve complex production incidents across infrastructure, networking, and application layersBuild PoCs and validate infrastructure and security design decisions in an early-stage environmentSupport compliance readiness by enabling controls, logging, and evidence collection for security frameworksContinuously improve platform cost efficiency, reliability, and operational maturityThis role reports directly to CEO & CPTO Must have skills 10+ years of professional software engineering experience3+ years of experience leading engineering teams while remaining hands-on3+ years of GoLang experience3+ years experience with AWS in production environmentsStrong code quality bar and experience with architectural reviewsAbility to context-switch between technical topics and people leadershipStrong execution mindset and comfort operating under ambiguityHands-on coding mentality; can build things from scratch including security architecture yourselfHands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes (EKS) and containerized workloadsExperience with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar)Experience with monitoring, logging, observability (Grafana, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus)Experience with Coding CoPilots (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, AWS CodeWhisperer, Codex, etc.)Knowledge of Experience supporting production SaaS platformsHigh ownership mentality, startup mindset, and ability to move quicklyExperience in startup or scale-up environmentsLow ego, high commitment, and a true tech startup mentalityExcellent English communication skills Nice-to-have requirements Previous experience as a founding or early-stage Engineering ManagerExperience in cybersecurity, identity, or enterprise SaaS platformsExposure to DevOps, SRE, or data engineeringExperience scaling teams and systems simultaneouslyExperience with security architecture, identity security, or security engineeringFamiliarity with compliance frameworks (NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2)Understanding of OAuth/OIDC, API tokens, IdP, scopes, SSO, SCIM, roles, RBAC/ABAC, service accountsFamiliarity with cloud identity and security controls (e.g. IAM, CloudTrail, Azure Active Directory / Entra ID)Hands-on with SIEM platforms such as Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, or IBM QRadarExperience designing permission models, identity graphs, or access control frameworksKnowledge of tokenization, Zero Trust principles, least privilege, and continuous verificationExperience with Security related to AI/LLM systems, agent logic, or willingness to learn fastFamiliarity with AI agent behavior, LLM security, or agent sandboxingPrevious experience in cybersecurity, identity startupsYou are a fan of rock or metal musicExcellent German communication skills Benefits Founding Team Member Equity — ESOPs in a well funded cybersecurity company.Competitive Compensation — salary aligned with market, flexible early-stage arrangements possible.Founding Team Member Status — shape the company from day one and own critical security technical decisions.Fresh Funding Secured — immediate runway to build, hire, and execute fast.Security Contribution — contribute to security tech architecture across identity, AI agents, and enforcement.High Autonomy — freedom to design and build without corporate overhead.Work with a Technical CEO and CPTO — fast iteration, strong alignment, clear direction.Cutting-Edge Domain — identity security, SaaS-to-SaaS access, AI agent governance.Massive Learning Curve — quickly gain depth in cybersecurity, identity, and AI systems.Fast Career Path — opportunity evolve into higher leadership as we scale the engineering teamBerlin Location — top-tier tech environment with strong cybersecurity and AI ecosystems.Direct Impact — your architecture and code become the foundation of the entire platform.Best Equipment and Tools - High quality equipment and modern tools to help you do your best work from day one.Team Offsites - Regular team offsites designed to build strong connections, alignment, and shared momentum. Skills: Engineering, bachelor's degree