Backend Engineer

About hyperexponential (hx)

At hyperexponential, we're building the AI-powered platform that enables the world's most critical decisions in a $7 trillion industry, which risks to take, and how to price them. These are the decisions that shape real-world outcomes: whether rockets successfully launch into space, autonomous vehicles make it to market, or communities recover after major storms.

Until now, insurance has been making billion-dollar decisions using outdated tools. We're changing that. Our platform brings together data, AI, and human expertise to give insurers the fastest path from submission to decision - helping them move faster, act smarter, and take on more risk with confidence.

Backed by a16z, Highland Europe, and Battery Ventures, we're scaling globally - already trusted by nearly 50 of the world's largest insurers, with zero churn and billions in premiums flowing through hx.

What began as a single product in one market has rapidly evolved into a multi-product, multi-territory platform powering every stage of pricing and underwriting. AI is at the core of what we do - from building the world's first domain-specific AI peer programmer for insurance (think GitHub Copilot with a PhD in actuarial science) to shaping agentic workflows that reinvent how this industry operates.

What makes hx different is the people who build it. Here, impact isn't tied to title or tenure; it's defined by the challenges you take on and the discipline you bring. Surrounded by peers who stretch you, you'll do the best, hardest work of your life in a company engineered to endure.

If that sounds like you, join us in building what comes next.

About the Analytics team

Engineering at hx drives every breakthrough that transforms how insurers make billion-dollar decisions. Our Analytics team sits at the cutting edge of this mission, building the data systems that unlock the full value of complex insurance datasets. We're turning raw portfolio data into actionable insights that help underwriters and actuaries make smarter, faster decisions on risks worth billions.

As a Backend Engineer in the Analytics team, you'll architect and build the foundational data systems that power next-generation insurance analytics. This is greenfield territory - you'll be designing distributed data solutions from the ground up, creating scalable ingestion pipelines, and building the infrastructure that turns complex insurance data into competitive advantage for our customers.

You'll work at the intersection of complex engineering challenges and real business impact, collaborating with sharp product and UX minds to create data-driven experiences that fundamentally change how insurers understand and optimise their risk portfolios. If you love solving hard technical problems while seeing direct customer impact, this is where you'll thrive.

What You'll Be Doing

• Build scalable data systems in Kotlin that enable insurers to ingest, process, and explore complex datasets, turning months of manual analysis into real-time insights that drive billion-dollar risk decisions.

• Design distributed analytics infrastructure on AWS using Terraform, creating robust, cloud-native systems that handle enterprise-scale data volumes while maintaining reliability and performance.

• Deliver customer-facing analytics features that transform how users understand and optimise risk modelling, building intuitive interfaces for complex portfolio analytics that were previously impossible.

• Drive technical innovation in data architecture, piloting emerging technologies and AI/ML approaches that continuously improve the analytics experience and unlock new capabilities for customers.

• Collaborate across disciplines with Product, UX, and Engineering teams to translate complex business requirements into elegant technical solutions that balance powerful functionality with usability.

• Elevate system quality through robust architecture decisions, comprehensive testing, and clear documentation that makes complex data systems maintainable and scalable as the team grows.

What You'll Need to Have Done

• Built production backend systems with proven experience as a polyglot engineer, ideally with strong Kotlin skills and the ability to work effectively across multiple languages and tech stacks.

• Delivered scalable cloud infrastructure using AWS and infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform, with hands-on experience building distributed systems that handle real-world data volumes.

• Designed robust data architectures with a strong grasp of distributed systems, API development, and the patterns that make complex data processing reliable and maintainable.

• Collaborated effectively across teams to deliver features that customers actually use, with evidence of translating business requirements into technical solutions that drive measurable impact.

• Maintained high code quality standards with a commitment to clean, well-documented, maintainable systems and the discipline to build infrastructure that scales with business growth.

• Demonstrated curiosity about emerging technologies, particularly around data processing, analytics platforms, and AI/ML tools that can enhance developer productivity and unlock new customer value.

You're Unlikely To Thrive Here If

• You prefer working with well-established data systems rather than building foundational analytics infrastructure from scratch in a rapidly evolving environment.

• You're more comfortable focusing on purely technical challenges than understanding the business context and customer impact of the data systems you're building.

• You're not excited by the complexity that comes with distributed data processing, enterprise-scale systems, and the technical depth required for analytics platforms.

• If reading our Culture Document leaves you feeling neutral rather than energised, hx may not be the place where you'll do your best work. We're building something that asks for commitment and conviction, and we want you to feel excited by the opportunity to grow with us.

Compensation

At hx, we're committed to salary transparency. You'll always have clarity on pay early in the process - our Talent Partner will share details with you during initial conversations - and we're working towards publishing salary information for all roles globally.

Because we're building at the intersection of technology/SaaS and insurance, our roles don't always map neatly onto traditional benchmarks. Our approach is to design compensation that's competitive in the market, fair across teams, and aligned with the impact our people make.

Equity: We offer equity across all roles at hx, making it a significant component of total compensation. Your talent partner will be able to share more details about this.

Benefits

• £5,000 training and conference budget for individual and group development.

• 25 days of holiday plus 8 bank holidays (33 days total).

• Company pension scheme via Penfold.

• Mental health support and therapy via Spectrum.life.

• Individual wellbeing allowance via Juno.

• Private healthcare insurance through AXA.

• Income protection and Life Insurance.

• Cycle to Work Scheme

Additional Perks

• Top-spec equipment (laptop, screens, adjustable desks, etc.).

• Regular remote and in-person hackathons, lunch and learns, socials, and game nights.

• Team breakfasts and lunches, snacks, drinks fridge, and a fun office at The Ministry.

• Exceptional opportunities for personal development and growth as we build something remarkable together.

Interview Process

1. Initial call with our Talent team to kick things off (30 minutes)

2. Manager Interview (60 minutes)

3. Technical Interview - Code Review & AI Pairing (120 minutes)

4. Values Interview (60 minutes)

5. We offer!

Our Commitment to Diversity

hxer's are at the centre of everything we build. We know that progress depends on diverse perspectives, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive, grow, and make an impact. We recognise there is always more to do, and we take responsibility for shaping a workplace that is not only diverse but genuinely inclusive.

Diversity is not just the right thing to do, it is key to solving the complex challenges we choose to take on. By welcoming people from all backgrounds and experiences, we strengthen our ability to question assumptions, push boundaries, and design solutions that endure. If you're energised by complexity and motivated to grow, we encourage you to apply and join our global team.

Next Steps:

If this opportunity resonates with you, we encourage you to apply or share it with your connections! Our dedicated talent team reviews all applications, and we promise to provide feedback regardless of the outcome.

For more information about applying and to view other opportunities, you can visit our careers page.

Please note that background checks will be conducted as part of the hiring process to ensure compliance with our governance policies. We handle all background checks sensitively and in full compliance with relevant regulations. All applicant data will be processed in accordance with data protection regulations and our privacy policy.