Welcome to NextWork - we're changing the way the world learns.
As engineer #3 in a team of eight, you’re stepping into a critical, foundational and high-impact role. We’re looking for a builder with strong taste and strong execution - someone who can shape core systems across the stack, and will do whatever it takes to solve the problem.
We’re a close-knit team that values collaboration, transparency and low ego. Your work will directly change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, and we challenge each other to push the limits of what we can achieve in our lifetime.
What you’ll do
- Build and ship core product systems across the stack (Golang, GCP, TypeScript, React) that change how people learn and prove real skills.
- Collaborate directly with the founder and a small engineering team to make decisions that ship to production fast.
- Work on problems that range from content generation, to how we verify skills, to our migration to graph-based platform. As NextWork scales, change is part of the job. This will give you a sense of what you’ll start with, but it will evolve fast.
- Engage directly with our amazing learners - they’re using our product every day!
You’ll love it here if you…
- Want to be engineer #3 of a close-knit team.
- Want to be early enough to shape everything, and tangible enough that what you build is used at scale.
- Own outcomes end-to-end, from idea to production and observation. When something breaks or blocks progress, you own it until it’s solved.
- Have strong opinions, hold them lightly, and move fast when the facts change.
This might not be for you if you…
- Want to work remotely.
- Want a calm, predictable pace.
- Only want to work on “your part” of the system.
- Prefer talking about strategy over shipping.
- Don’t actively use AI in your workflow - we’re an AI-native startup building in 2026.
What we value in engineering
On a daily basis, NextWork engineers ship systems used by 190k+ learners around the world - from Africa to the US. At NextWork, engineers:
- Are primary advocates for performance, availability and security.
- Actively shape product priorities and drive initiatives to improve the platform.
- Are biased to action. Solve problems by doing.
- Collaborate closely with everyone in the business.
- Own problems-end-to-end, from discovery to delivery to learning.
About NextWork
NextWork’s mission is to meet the skill demand to solve the world’s toughest problems, and we’re doing this by building the best place to learn and showcase your AI skills.
We’re a small, high-performing team relocating to Austin, combining deep engineering craft with AI fluency and a bias for shipping. This role will help shape our core systems, architecture, and culture as we scale.
Perks and benefits
- Equity - Own a part of the business that you’re building, sharing in our success.
- 401(k) with up to 3% company contribution
- Health, dental, vision insurance
Come work with us!
At NextWork, your work helps close humanity’s skill gap.
It’s high ownership, high visibility, and high impact. If that excites you - and you want your work to change what people are able to do in the world - then reach out or email [email protected].
Top Skills
What We Do
Since launching in 2024, more than 190,000 learners across 190+ countries have used NextWork to build and showcase real-world skills. The platform is used globally by career switchers, professionals upskilling into AI and cloud roles, and teams who believe proof matters more than titles.
Why Work With Us
NextWork is tight-knit, intense, and high-ownership. Every engineer ships to production and sees the impact of their work immediately. We work on hard things, move fast, and do whatever it takes to solve the problem. If you want your work to matter - you’ll feel at home. Also, we're from New Zealand (moved to Austin 2026) and know how to have fun!
