Head of Engineering @ AI-powered Personal Growth Startup
Role: Head of Engineering Location: Venice Beach, CA (Remote friendly for exceptional candidates) Salary/Compensation: $190-240k + equity About our client: Our client believes everyone deserves to thrive. They are democratizing what's traditionally been available only to the privileged few: a personal mentor invested in your growth and available whenever you need them. They combine state-of-the-art AI with cognitive science, powered by proprietary memory technology that truly gets to know you. They help people process daily thoughts, recognize patterns, set meaningful goals, and guide personal growth through tailored content-all while supporting users through daily challenges and triumphs. Having just crossed $1.5M ARR, they are at an inflection point ready for exponential growth. They are a passionate team of 11 looking to bring on mission-driven people who value personal growth and excellence in craft. Position Overview: Our client is seeking a Head of Engineering to lead their engineering team and own the technical execution of their product vision. You'll take over the most senior engineering role from their founding CTO, allowing him to focus on high-leverage creative work and long-term technical strategy. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll architect complex systems, mentor engineers, and ensure they ship high-quality features that delight users. You'll work closely with their founders to translate product vision into scalable technical solutions.. Key Responsibilities: • Technical Leadership • Lead a team of 4-6 engineers and own day-to-day technical execution • Architect scalable systems for AI-powered personal growth features • Make critical technical decisions on technology stack, architecture, and implementation approaches • Establish engineering best practices, code review standards, and development processes • Hands-On Development • Build and optimize React Native mobile apps, React web applications, and TypeScript backend services • Architect scalable systems using Postgres, Firestore, and modern cloud infrastructure • Implement robust CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes on Vercel and similar platforms • Debug complex issues across the full stack and ensure system reliability • Prototype new technical approaches and validate technical feasibility • Product & Engineering Bridge • Collaborate closely with founders to translate creative vision into technical roadmaps • Break down complex product initiatives into executable engineering tasks • Estimate effort, identify technical risks, and communicate trade-offs to leadership • Ensure engineering execution aligns with product goals and user needs • Team Development • Mentor and grow junior and mid-level engineers on the team • Lead technical design reviews and architecture discussions • Foster a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning • Guide hiring decisions for future engineering roles Qualifications: • Technical Excellence • 10+ years software engineering experience with 5+ years in senior/lead roles • Expert-level TypeScript and React/React Native experience • Strong background in full-stack development with React, Node.js, and mobile apps • Experience with modern deployment platforms (Vercel, CI/CD pipelines) • Database experience with both SQL (Postgres) and NoSQL (Firestore) systems • Experience with state management libraries (Zustand, Redux, or similar) • AI/ML systems integration and LLM API experience • Leadership Experience • Proven track record leading engineering teams of 3+ people • Experience mentoring engineers and driving technical decision-making • Ability to balance technical debt, feature development, and system reliability • Strong communication skills for collaborating with non-technical stakeholders • Startup DNA • Experience at high-growth startups, ideally post-seed/Series A stage • Comfortable with ambiguity and rapidly changing priorities • Bias toward shipping and iterating rather than over-engineering • Understanding of how engineering decisions impact user experience and business metrics • Product Sense • Experience building consumer-facing products with high engagement requirements • Understanding of how technical architecture impacts user experience • Ability to make pragmatic technical decisions that balance speed, quality, and scalability • Interest in AI applications and human-computer interaction • Bonus Points • Experience with AI/ML applications in consumer products • Background building real-time messaging or conversation systems • Previous experience as a founding engineer or early technical hire • Interest in psychology, personal development, or wellness tech • Open source contributions or technical blog writing What they offer: • Leadership & Impact • Own the technical direction of a fast-growing AI product used by 50K+ people • Work directly with founders in shaping the future of AI-powered personal growth • Build and lead a world-class engineering team from the ground up • High autonomy and ownership over technical decisions • Compensation & Benefits • Competitive salary: $190k - $240k based on experience • Significant equity package with high upside potential • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage • Latest equipment and home office setup • Professional development budget and conference attendance • Culture & Growth • Culture that thrives on self-discovery, introspection, and personal growth • Work with a passionate team that lives the values they are building for • Opportunity to shape engineering culture and practices from early stage • Direct mentorship from founding CTO on complex technical challenges • Location • Venice Beach office with flexible remote options • Open to candidates in US time zones (Remote friendly) Apply tot his job