Meet Henry - Graduate Associate Software Engineer at Encord

Another day, another story from the Encord engineering team - this time we’re chatting with Henry, one of our Associate Software Engineers. Henry joined Encord as his first full-time role out of university and into building real-world AI tooling. He shares what it’s been like joining a fast-moving startup, what he’s learned so far, and his advice for other graduates thinking about starting their engineering careers in AI.

So Henry, tell us a bit about yourself - what did you study and how did you end up at Encord?

I actually studied Chemical Engineering, but I’ll admit I didn’t read the course description properly! I just saw engineering combined with chemistry and thought, “That sounds great.” Turns out, it was basically industrial plumbing…not quite what I had in mind.

After graduating, I planned to do a ski season, but that fell through. Instead, I joined a coding bootcamp that did things differently - they paid you £1,000 a month to learn, and then made their money from recruitment fees. It was super competitive, with around 1,000 applicants, and I was lucky to get in.

I then started my own company. It got to the point where I’d have needed to raise money and hire people, but I realized I didn’t want to work 14-hour days right then. I wanted to enjoy my 20s - so I decided to join a company where I’d still have ownership and creative freedom.

How did you find the interview process as a graduate software engineer?

Honestly, it was the best interview process I went through.

I’d done a round of applications a year earlier, and most processes felt cold and impersonal. Encord’s felt completely different. 

Each stage felt collaborative rather than interrogative. It wasn’t “prove yourself to us,” it was “let’s work through this together.” I also learned a lot about how Encord’s founders think which gave me real confidence in the company’s future.

What was it like joining Encord as your first full-time job out of uni?

It was great - and honestly a lot more fun than I expected!

I’d always been self-employed before, so I worried I’d find a full-time job boring or rigid. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The people are incredible - super bright and friendly. There’s a real social vibe in the office, and I’ve actually made close friends here.

Work-wise, you get thrown in the deep end, but in a good way. On day two, I was told: “Struggle through this for a few hours - if you can’t figure it out, ask for help.” That sums up the culture: you’re encouraged to problem-solve, but support is always there. You learn fast - and you start feeling confident in what you’re building really quickly.

So what kind of projects are you working on now?

I’ve been working on enterprise user management - basically building features around permissions, access control, and security for large customers.

I’ve also been focusing on product engineering, making sure user flows feel smooth and frustration-free. My goal is that at no point does a user think, “Why doesn’t this work?”

Lately, I’ve also been working on AI integrations, connecting Encord’s platform with external tools like Hugging Face - helping teams train, analyze, and deploy their models more efficiently. It’s exciting because you can see the real-world impact of what you’re building.

What advice would you give to new grads looking to get into AI or startups?

Build something.

Don’t just show you can write code - show that you can take a problem, think about it end-to-end, and ship a solution. Even if only one person uses it, you’ll learn more from that than your entire degree.

Startups value people who can think like founders - who are curious, creative, and comfortable with ambiguity. The reason I got my job here is because I’d started my own company. It showed I could take initiative and see things through.

What’s the culture like for early-career engineers at Encord? And what about learning opportunities?

The learning curve is steep, but that’s what makes it exciting.

You’re not stuck fixing small bugs - you’re working on projects with company-wide impact from week one. You get exposure to product thinking, commercial context, and system design early on, which means you develop a holistic understanding fast.

Because our platform is only a few years old, there’s a mix of new and legacy code, so you’re constantly learning how things fit together. It’s a great environment to grow technical depth and problem-solving skills.

How has Encord supported your growth since joining?

By giving me freedom - and trusting me with it.

If I see something that could be improved, I can go and fix it. I don’t have to ask for permission - I just build it, get feedback, and ship it. That autonomy is huge for growth.

There’s also recognition. When you deliver something big, people notice. You don’t have to fight for visibility - you just have to own your work and share it.

Interested in kickstarting your engineering career at Encord?

We’re hiring graduates! If you’re curious, ambitious, and want to build real products that matter - come join us. Check out our open roles.