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How a Fast-Scaling AI Startup Hired a Senior Automation Engineer in 5 Weeks
In many startups, the founder is also the entire technical department. That works until growth makes it impossible.
A fast-scaling AI platform for car dealerships reached that point. Its CEO was still running the company's backend automations and integrations himself, while the business onboarded around 30 new dealerships a month. They needed to hire an automation engineer senior enough to take all of it off his plate. In about five weeks, they hired a lead-level automation and integrations engineer in Belgrade, Serbia, for $72,000 a year, below the $100,000 to $125,000 the same seniority costs in the US.
Here's how we turned an unfillable job description into the company's most important hire.
The challenge: the most important role in the company
The client is an AI acceleration platform built for auto dealerships, founded in April 2024. It quickly scaled to more than 160 dealership clients, all running on an in-house stack of AI workflows and system integrations that the CEO had largely built and maintained himself.
The CEO called this hire the most important role in the company. He needed someone to own the automation and integration work so he could stop being the company's de facto technical department.
Two things stood in the way:
The CEO called this hire the most important role in the company. He needed someone to own the automation and integration work so he could stop being the company's de facto technical department.
Two things stood in the way:
- The job description tried to do too much. The first draft packed four to five distinct functions into a single hire, at a budget that didn't match the seniority the role needed.
- Two open roles overlapped. A second search for an AI Workflow Specialist was running at the same time. Chasing both at once risked slowing down the hire that mattered most.
How we hired an automation engineer in 5 steps
We reviewed the original job description and flagged that it combined too many distinct functions to realistically fill with one hire. Fixing that before sourcing saved weeks of chasing a candidate who didn't exist.
We brought the CEO and COO together to walk through both open roles. During the discussion, they recognized the automation and integrations position, the work the CEO was doing himself, as the more urgent hire. We agreed to pause the AI Workflow Specialist search and focus on it.
We sourced 242 candidates, advanced 36 to a hands-on workflow-build test, and brought 14 through structured interviews. Loom video self-assessments kept the funnel efficient without overwhelming the client's team.
Each finalist came with a detailed strengths-and-risks write-up. For example, we made clear which candidate was a strong mid-level generalist and which was a true senior or lead architect, so the client could compare with confidence and move fast.
We coordinated interviews across time zones, supplied ready-to-send offer templates, and tracked everything through to a signed agreement.
The results: a lead-level engineer in five weeks
From first outreach to a signed offer took about five weeks. The search narrowed 242 sourced candidates to 36 tested and 14 interviewed, and surfaced several senior finalists, not just one. Clear, comparative write-ups let the client move fast and secure their top pick before a competing offer could.
The client hired their new automation and integrations engineer, based in Belgrade, Serbia, in December 2025. Weeks into the role, the COO confirmed the hire was doing great, a strong early signal for a position built to carry most of the company's technical operations.
The client hired their new automation and integrations engineer, based in Belgrade, Serbia, in December 2025. Weeks into the role, the COO confirmed the hire was doing great, a strong early signal for a position built to carry most of the company's technical operations.
US Market Rate (Annual Cost)
$100,000 to $125,000
Hired in Serbia (Annual Cost)
$72,000
Savings
28% to 42% ($28,000 to $53,000 a year)
What the client said:
"Alina and her team made it very simple through the entire process to find, pre-qualify, and ultimately find the right person for the role. I would highly recommend them if you are looking for A players to add to your team."
4 lessons for founders hiring their first senior technical person
- One hire can't be four jobs. If your job description covers several distinct functions, split it or prioritize before you source.
- Hire for the work you're doing yourself. The most urgent role is usually the one keeping the founder stuck in day-to-day operations.
- Test real work. A hands-on workflow-build test shows what an engineer can actually do, faster than any resume.
- Know mid-level from senior before you decide. Clear, comparative write-ups help you choose fast and avoid losing your top pick to another offer.
Frequently asked questions
In the US, a senior automation and integrations engineer typically costs $100,000 to $125,000 a year. In this search, the client hired a lead-level engineer in Serbia for $72,000 a year, roughly 28% to 42% less.
They build and maintain the automated workflows and system integrations that connect a company's tools, often including AI workflows. In this case, they took over the backend systems the CEO had been running himself.
Serbia, and Belgrade in particular, has a strong engineering community with senior and lead-level talent, good English and costs well below US rates. Its time zone also overlaps with US mornings.
This search took about five weeks from first outreach to a signed offer. A focused job description and a clear priority role were key to that speed.
Use a hands-on workflow-build test based on your real systems, followed by structured interviews. Short video self-assessments can help screen a large pool efficiently.
Still running the tech side yourself?
We help founders scope the right role, then source, test, and benchmark senior technical talent worldwide, so you can hand off the work and get back to growing the business.
Book a free call with Retalent and tell us about the hire you need most.
We help founders scope the right role, then source, test, and benchmark senior technical talent worldwide, so you can hand off the work and get back to growing the business.
Book a free call with Retalent and tell us about the hire you need most.