Head of Engineering
Location: U.S.-based (with preference for Boston or other major tech hubs)
Clearance: U.S. Citizenship required; Security Clearance or eligibility preferred
Compensation: $280,000-$350,000 + meaningful equity
About the Role
We're looking for a mission-driven engineering leader to scale a world-class team and take cutting-edge software products from concept to real-world impact. You'll be at the forefront of a fast-growing company delivering intelligent systems across defense and commercial domains-working in complex, high-stakes environments like logistics, supply chains, aerospace, and national security.
This role is ideal for a technical builder who believes that strategy is best shaped through execution. As a senior leader, you'll directly influence the trajectory of our engineering organization, scaling it significantly while pushing the boundaries of what's possible in dual-use software.
About Us
We are a Series B technology company developing intelligent software systems for mission-critical domains. From aviation and national defense to logistics and infrastructure, we help organizations plan, operate, and adapt with greater speed and precision. Our work powers decision-making in some of the world's most complex environments-and we're just getting started.
Your Mission
By the time we hit $100M+ in ARR, you will have:
- Built and led a top-tier engineering team, growing from 15 to 50+ engineers across backend, frontend, infrastructure, and ML.
- Delivered several 0-to-1 software products from prototype through deployment across commercial and government customers.
- Significantly increased the pace and precision of our engineering output, shaping our technology into a platform that scales across domains.
- Positioned the company as a top destination for high-caliber engineers who want to work on meaningful, high-impact problems.
What You'll Own (Outcomes in 18-24 Months)
Team Growth & Engineering Leadership
- Hired and retained high-performing engineers; consistently raised the talent bar.
- Designed and implemented resourcing strategies aligned with rapid company growth.
- Established engineering excellence across the board: from hiring processes to delivery velocity to long-term technical culture.
Product Delivery & Domain Expansion
- Transitioned 5-10 prototypes into production environments, in verticals like defense logistics, maritime, aerospace, and critical infrastructure.
- Collaborated closely with design and business teams to scope, iterate, and launch both new and existing product lines.
- Reduced prototype-to-deployment cycles, increasing speed and reliability of customer delivery.
️ Infrastructure & Deployment
- Delivered products with industry-grade uptime (>99.5%), driving trust and credibility with key stakeholders.
- Oversaw data integrations and system connections with external environments and partners.
- Led successful deployments in high-compliance environments (e.g. IL-5/6, FedRAMP, CMMC) and cloud infrastructure (AWS).
External & Cross-functional Leadership
- Represented engineering in customer and partner engagements, articulating product vision, capability, and technical depth.
- Served as the voice of engineering during capture processes, product demos, and executive presentations.
Platform Thinking & System Architecture
- Defined what should be forward-deployed versus platform-integrated.
- Built scalable, modular solutions that allowed us to grow with evolving user needs across both commercial and defense sectors.
Who We're Looking For
Domain Fluency
- Experience building software in complex, regulated, or mission-critical domains-such as defense, aerospace, or supply chain.
- Bonus: Forward-deployed or user-facing engineering work in high-stakes settings.
Technical Depth
- Demonstrated ability to own software development end-to-end-both 0 1 and 1 N.
- Experience deploying cloud-native software (AWS, edge environments, etc.).
Leadership & Team Building
- Strong, inspiring engineering leader with experience growing and mentoring teams.
- Hands-on mindset-you're not above jumping in to help ship product or sketch design ideas.
Strategic Execution
- Comfortable making high-impact decisions in ambiguous environments.
- You thrive in a culture where speed, quality, and mission alignment all matter.
Traits That Will Make You Thrive
- Independent Thinker: You bring ideas, challenge assumptions, and spark meaningful dialogue.
- Resourceful Builder: You bias toward action and work through obstacles with grit.
- Mission-Driven Leader: You care deeply about what we're building-and why it matters.
Who You'll Work With
You'll collaborate closely with:
- VP of Product & Business Development
- CTO & CEO
- Design, Data Science, and Engineering Managers
- Customers and senior decision-makers in both commercial and government sectors