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 role
As 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 product
What you’ll be doing
You’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 platform
Designing and implementing automation flows across internal tooling, data processes, and product features
Developing and maintaining MCP servers and AI-powered backend infrastructure
Integrating AI tools and models into production workflows safely and efficiently
Designing scalable automated testing frameworks across backend and APIs
Embedding automation into CI/CD pipelines to enable fast, safe releases
Building end-to-end, integration, and regression test suites
Improving system observability, monitoring, and performance reliability
Identifying production risks early and translating incidents into stronger automation
Driving engineering best practices around quality, architecture, and operational excellence
You’ll help ensure Happl ships quickly, scales confidently, and operates with a high degree of automation and intelligence.
What we’re looking for
4+ years experience as a Backend Engineer, Automation Engineer, or similar role in a product-led tech company
Experience designing and consuming APIs (REST, event-driven systems)
Solid understanding of databases (SQL / PostgreSQL) and data modelling
Experience building automation systems, internal tooling, or workflow engines
Experience integrating AI tools or working with LLM-powered systems in production
Strong understanding of CI/CD, testing strategies, and automation frameworks
Experience working with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or similar)
Solid understanding of system reliability, performance, and observability
Strong debugging and problem-solving skills across distributed systems
Ownership mindset — you think in systems and take responsibility for outcomes
Clear communicator who collaborates effectively across engineering and product
If you don’t meet every requirement but feel this role aligns with your trajectory, we’d still love to hear from you
Why join Happl
Help shape the future of employee benefits
Competitive base salary and commission
Meaningful equity in an early stage growing business
Flexible hybrid working from day one
Access to your own Happl benefits platform
Optional enrolment in Private Health Insurance
Optional enrolment in Dental insurance, including family cover
A flexible Wellbeing budget to spend on whatever wellbeing means to you
Learning & Development (L&D) allowance
Pension scheme from day one
About the Interview
Call 1: 20-min Intro call with Ben (COO & CoS)
Call 2: 30-min deep dive with Lee (Head of Engineering)
Short Task
Call 3: 30-min deep dive with Ben T (CEO & Founder)
Additional Details
Location: London, Waterloo
Team: Engineering
Working arrangement: Hybrid (2+ Days in Office)
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