Head of Engineering
- Compensation
- $170K–$300K
- Work mode
- Hybrid/On-site
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Industry
- Industrial Technology
Your market value for this role
Compared with 5 live mandates (same function, level and region).
Base salary only; excludes equity and bonus. Benchmark your own package →
The mandate
What we're looking for We need someone with 5+ years of engineering experience (the range we're aiming for is about 5–10 years) in backend systems, data, infrastructure, or applied AI, who has led engineers or driven a large project with several contributors to success. You should be comfortable working with a lot of ambiguity as a hands-on tech lead/manager (TLM): about 70–80% coding and 20–30% leadership. You should have a track record of shipping production software and making a team more effective. Bonus points if you're a former founder or founding engineer, have startup experience (Series A–C or another high-bar tech company), or have done forward-deployed work with enterprise customers.
Key responsibilities
- Act as the engineering lead the CTO can rely on while he spends more time on sales and customers. You'll design and build the backend, data, and AI systems behind enterprise deployments.
- Own technical direction and make clear calls on architecture, vendors, and build vs. buy. Guide junior engineers toward better system design.
- Work closely with the founders, engineers, and customers (REITs, real estate PE funds, and asset managers such as a $90B global real estate firm) to make sure every client engagement stays on track.
- Set practical standards for code quality, security, testing, observability, and running what we ship.
- Lead enterprise deployments from the organization to delivery. This includes going on-site with clients to deal with messy data, ERPs, and legacy systems, and turning customer-specific work into reusable infrastructure (knowledge graphs, ontologies, company-brain systems).
- Coach engineers and give specific feedback. Hold the team accountable on timelines, have the hard conversations, spot risks early, and help hire and grow the team as the organization scales.
What you bring
- Act as the engineering lead the CTO can rely on while he spends more time on sales and customers. You'll design and build the backend, data, and AI systems behind enterprise deployments.
- Own technical direction and make clear calls on architecture, vendors, and build vs. buy. Guide junior engineers toward better system design.
- Work closely with the founders, engineers, and customers (REITs, real estate PE funds, and asset managers such as a $90B global real estate firm) to make sure every client engagement stays on track.
- Set practical standards for code quality, security, testing, observability, and running what we ship.
- Lead enterprise deployments from the organization to delivery. This includes going on-site with clients to deal with messy data, ERPs, and legacy systems, and turning customer-specific work into reusable infrastructure (knowledge graphs, ontologies, company-brain systems).
- Coach engineers and give specific feedback. Hold the team accountable on timelines, have the hard conversations, spot risks early, and help hire and grow the team as the organization scales.
Location & engagement details
San Francisco Bay Area · On-site
Competitive base salary that matches your experience and the impact you bring.; Equity: Competitive; Visa sponsorship details: Not open to any visas (e.g. US the organization, Green Card holders); On-site work policy: On-site in San Francisco or New York. The team currently works in person in NY and plans to open up an SF office soon. Most team members will travel semi-frequently to client sites.
About this mandate
This is a live head of function search with direct introductions to the hiring team. The role sits in industrial technology and is located in San Francisco Bay Area on a hybrid/on-site basis, with compensation of $170K–$300K.
This is a confidential search. Read the brief above, then apply below for this role. The company name is shared once there's a close match and mutual interest.
Most senior mandates are filled this way — privately, before any listing exists. Read how unadvertised executive roles actually get filled.
- This is a confidential search. The company name and full role details are only discussed on a call with one of our recruiters if there is a close match.
- We use your details — your LinkedIn profile URL and email address — to match you against this mandate and any other closely matched roles.
- A verifiable email address, LinkedIn profile and a recent PDF resume are required. Submissions from bots, spammers or unverifiable profiles are removed.
- There is no call booking at this stage. Calls are scheduled only after we identify a close match.
Who can apply
- C-suite, EVP/SVP, VP and Head of function leaders
- Proven scale-up, venture-backed or enterprise leadership experience
- Track record of building and leading teams in the relevant function
Final hiring decisions rest solely with the hiring company. Outcomes depend on role availability and decisions made by the hiring team.
Apply — Head of Engineering
This application is for this role only. It is reviewed against the brief above, and you will be contacted if there is a close match.
- This is a confidential search. The company name and full role details are only discussed on a call with one of our recruiters if there is a close match.
- We use your details — your LinkedIn profile URL and email address — to match you against this mandate and any other closely matched roles.
- Handled confidentially — your details are never shared without your consent.
- A referral is an introduction, not a guarantee of an interview or an offer.
- Final hiring decisions rest with the hiring company; outcomes depend on role availability and their decisions.