MidFull TimeENEurope
Hiire is helping Soko hire a Software Engineer for its growing engineering team in Lisbon.
Soko is building an AI-native platform to help people discover places, events, and plans in a smarter, more intuitive way.
They’re solving real-world discovery challenges by combining AI, data, and strong product thinking to create a new kind of search experience. This isn’t a traditional product — it’s a highly technical, fast-moving system where continuous experimentation and iteration are part of everyday work.
As an early-stage startup, the environment is defined by speed, ownership, and a bias for action.
Data problems at scale - you’ll be dealing with huge volumes of data, reliability, observability, event scraping, and search. These are significant technical challenges that will push your skills to the limit.
With a startup mindset, you’ll enjoy the chaos and the opportunity to make a real impact. An unlikely but possible upside is turning the company into a unicorn. If the startup grows, you grow with it, with very fast career progression.
You’ll be involved in all aspects of development, from front-end to back-end. You’ll be working with the latest technologies and frameworks, and you’ll have the freedom to experiment and find the best solutions.
You’ll also be involved in improving the AI environment, which is a core part of the business. This will give you the opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI technologies and make a real impact on the product
You’ll work on:
AI-driven search and retrieval systems
Improving our AI environment and tooling
Solving complex challenges in ranking, relevance, and data processing
Shipping fast in a high-ownership startup environment
Tech Stack
Backend: Python
Frontend: React or Flutter
AI tools: Claude, Codex and similar LLM-based tools
Build and iterate on core product features
Develop and optimize search infrastructure
Use AI tools (like Claude or Codex) in your daily workflow
Collaborate closely with founders in a fast decision-making environment
Contribute to system design as the product scales
Move quickly from idea → prototype → production
3+ years of experience with Python and/or React / Flutter
You enjoy building things from scratch
Interest in AI, search, or data-heavy systems
A startup mindset, enjoying chaos and the opportunity to make a real impact.
You take ownership and move fast
Nice to have
Experience with search systems, LLMs, or ranking problems
Previous startup or founder experience
A research background, as you’ll be working on innovative solutions and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Work onsite in Lisbon with a tight, ambitious team
Build at the edge of AI + search technology
High ownership, low bureaucracy
Shape both product and engineering direction early
Learn fast and ship fast
We’re looking for people who want to be in the room, build together, and move fast.
