We don't hire against a headcount plan. We hire when the work demands it, we hire carefully, and we prefer people who can own work end-to-end. We also grow strong mid-level talent under senior leads. That's the whole policy - everything else on this page is context.
Why this studio
Most agencies scale by hiring juniors and running them through a delivery machine. The senior tax goes to margins; the junior work goes to clients; everyone knows the trade. We built GNShift on the opposite premise - senior-led work, small team, retainers instead of projects. Fewer people doing better work for longer.
That means a specific kind of role. You'll own accounts end-to-end, not just tickets. You'll talk to clients directly, not through a PM buffer. You'll ship into production the same week you design or plan something, not three sprints later. The tradeoff is that when the work is bad, it's visible.
If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work at once, we'd like to hear from you - even if we don't have an open role today.
Every retainer has a named lead engineer and lead designer. That's you, on your accounts. No PM buffer, no ticket queue - direct client relationships and end-to-end ownership.
We are not building a large agency for the sake of headcount. We grow only when the work requires it, keeping teams focused, accountable, and close to the client.
Fewer layers. Clear ownership. Better work.
Every Friday runs on a 4-week rotation - Tech Talk, AI Hackathon, L&D Session, Retrospective. Protected time to raise the bar on client craft, not aspirational. Client work does not touch Friday.
Fully remote across EU. CET / CEST timezone core, 4-6 hour overlap with US East. No 24/7 expectations, no sync theatre.
You are not here to simply execute every request. You are expected to challenge weak assumptions, protect the product, and call out scope, timelines, or decisions that do not make sense.
You will have the authority to push back, and the backing to do it.
Regardless of role - designer, engineer, or ops - the shape of the fit tends to be the same.
We hire slowly because we can afford to. If the fit isn't obvious after two conversations, we don't force it.
Open roles
Even so, if the philosophy above sounds like the kind of place you'd want to work at once, we keep a small pipeline of people we'd like to talk to when the timing is right. You can send us a note. We read every one, and we come back to the pipeline when a role opens - sometimes weeks, sometimes months.
No auto-reply, no drip sequence. When we have read it, we will tell you directly if there is a fit or if we should stay in touch.
Either apply to an open role or send us a general note (form above). We read it - usually within a week, sometimes sooner.
With founder + one team lead relevant to the role. Not a screening - a real conversation about what you've done and what we're building.
We look at your actual work - code, designs, writing, past projects. You walk us through the thinking.
A paid 2-week trial on real client work (not a takehome, not spec work). If it clicks, we make an offer.
We don't do panel interviews, culture-fit sessions, or meet-the-team calls with 6 people. We're small. We know quickly.
Or use the form above - same inbox, same reader.
Founder + relevant team lead
Usually within 1 week
30-min conversation, if it fits
We do not accept CVs from recruiters. If a recruiter contacts you about a role at GNShift, it is not from us.