Software Automation Engineer

We’re building the next generation of employee benefits infrastructure.At Happl, we help global teams design, manage, and scale benefits that actually work for their people by using AI, across flex allowances, benefits, insurance, recognition, and wellbeing, all in one intelligent platform.Happl is backed by leading investors such as YCombinator, 6Degrees Capital, and more, known for backing leading companies such as Deel, Rippling, Airbnb, Coinbase, Dropbox, and most recently was awarded a place in the UK’s top 100 startups for 2026.About the roleAs a Software Automation Engineer at Happl, you won’t just test the system, you’ll help build it.This is a hybrid role combining backend engineering and intelligent automation. You’ll design and ship production-grade backend services, build automation flows across our platform, and help architect AI-driven infrastructure including MCP servers and internal automation tooling.You’ll be a foundational member of the Engineering team, embedding quality, scalability, and intelligence directly into our AI-first employee benefits platform. This is hands-on, high-ownership work for someone who thrives in fast-moving environments and wants to shape the systems that power a global productWhat you’ll be doingYou’ll work across backend engineering and automation to increase platform reliability, velocity, and intelligence. Core responsibilities include:Building and maintaining backend services and APIs that power Happl’s core platformDesigning and implementing automation flows across internal tooling, data processes, and product featuresDeveloping and maintaining MCP servers and AI-powered backend infrastructureIntegrating AI tools and models into production workflows safely and efficientlyDesigning scalable automated testing frameworks across backend and APIsEmbedding automation into CI/CD pipelines to enable fast, safe releasesBuilding end-to-end, integration, and regression test suitesImproving system observability, monitoring, and performance reliabilityIdentifying production risks early and translating incidents into stronger automationDriving engineering best practices around quality, architecture, and operational excellenceYou’ll help ensure Happl ships quickly, scales confidently, and operates with a high degree of automation and intelligence.What we’re looking for4+ years experience as a Backend Engineer, Automation Engineer, or similar role in a product-led tech companyExperience designing and consuming APIs (REST, event-driven systems)Solid understanding of databases (SQL / PostgreSQL) and data modellingExperience building automation systems, internal tooling, or workflow enginesExperience integrating AI tools or working with LLM-powered systems in productionStrong understanding of CI/CD, testing strategies, and automation frameworksExperience working with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or similar)Solid understanding of system reliability, performance, and observabilityStrong debugging and problem-solving skills across distributed systemsOwnership mindset — you think in systems and take responsibility for outcomesClear communicator who collaborates effectively across engineering and productIf you don’t meet every requirement but feel this role aligns with your trajectory, we’d still love to hear from youWhy join HapplHelp shape the future of employee benefitsCompetitive base salary and commissionMeaningful equity in an early stage growing businessFlexible hybrid working from day oneAccess to your own Happl benefits platformOptional enrolment in Private Health InsuranceOptional enrolment in Dental insurance, including family coverA flexible Wellbeing budget to spend on whatever wellbeing means to youLearning & Development (L&D) allowancePension scheme from day oneAbout the InterviewCall 1: 20-min Intro call with Ben (COO & CoS)Call 2: 30-min deep dive with Lee (Head of Engineering)Short TaskCall 3: 30-min deep dive with Ben T (CEO & Founder)Additional DetailsLocation: London, WaterlooT ... (truncated, view full listing at source)