We are hiring! Software Engineer — Free Speech Union
4 April 2026
Free speech is under pressure. Courts, regulators and online platforms are making decisions faster than civil liberties organisations can respond — unless they have the right technology. We’re building that technology, and we need someone to help us.
The Free Speech Union is looking for a software engineer to join a small, scrappy team that punches well above its weight. You’ll work across AI automation, systems integration and security — the infrastructure that lets us move fast and hit hard when it matters.
This isn’t nine-to-five. You’ll be building systems that help us defend real people when they’re under attack for exercising their right to lawful free speech. That means:
- Using AI to automate research, scanning and reporting so our case and legal teams always have the essential facts at their fingertips
- Integrating our SaaS tools into a coherent platform — and driving routine admin time to zero
- Being the organisation’s on-call AI specialist: building the sophisticated automations yourself, and teaching colleagues to handle the simpler ones
- Securing our systems against real adversaries — activists who are motivated, capable and hostile to what we do
Who we’re looking for
Someone who sees AI not as a novelty but as a genuine force multiplier — and wants to prove that the integration of AI into our work can help us win David-and-Goliath battles with far larger, better-resourced organisations, including the UK Government. You’ll have a CS degree or equivalent hands-on experience, proficiency in Python or JavaScript/TypeScript, and the self-discipline to work remotely at pace. Security interest is a plus; the willingness to learn fast in an adversarial environment is essential.
Most importantly, you’ll actually believe in what we’re doing. This role gives you direct involvement in cases that really matter — cases that can have a lasting impact on people’s ability to exercise a fundamental human right — not another CRUD app for a company that doesn’t need to exist.
What we offer
£35,000–£40,000 · 8% pension · BUPA private healthcare · 20 days leave · full remote
Full details and how to apply: Software Engineer job description (PDF)
