Head of Engineering (Director/VP) - VC Backed Startups

Join SignalFire’s Talent Network for Head of Engineering (Director/VP) Roles at VC-Backed Startups

This is not an application for a specific job. Instead, this is a way to get on the radar of VC-backed startups that are actively hiring Engineering leaders. If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to talentnetwork@signalfire.com.

At SignalFire, we partner with top early-stage startups that are shaping the future of technology. Our portfolio spans 200+ innovative companies across AI, cybersecurity, healthtech, fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS.

We’re looking to connect with exceptional Heads of Engineering (Director/VP-level leaders) who are excited about building and scaling engineering teams, driving technical vision, and leading execution at high-growth startups. By joining SignalFire’s Talent Network, your profile will be shared with our portfolio companies, giving you visibility into exclusive early-stage opportunities that may not be publicly listed.

Who Should Join?

We’re looking for leaders who are:
✔ Passionate about scaling engineering teams, processes, and technology in high-growth environments
✔ Experienced in technical strategy, execution, and organizational leadership
✔ Excited to partner with founders and executives to drive product and business impact

Typical Roles & Responsibilities

• Build and scale high-performing engineering teams, hiring and developing top technical talent

• Define and drive technical strategy, execution, and long-term roadmap alignment with business objectives

• Oversee architecture, infrastructure, and best practices for scalable, reliable systems

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Own engineering operations, ensuring high-velocity product development and delivery

• Establish engineering processes, CI/CD workflows, and DevOps best practices

• Collaborate with founders, product, and business teams to shape company-wide strategic direction

• Drive cross-functional collaboration across engineering, product, and design teams

• Lead initiatives for performance optimization, security, and cost efficiency

Common Qualifications

While each startup has its own hiring criteria, many Head of Engineering (Director/VP-level) roles in our network look for:

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 4+ years in leadership roles

• Proven experience managing and scaling engineering teams in high-growth startup environments

• Expertise in backend, full-stack, or infrastructure development with modern cloud technologies

• Strong knowledge of scalable architectures, distributed systems, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

• Track record of hiring, retaining, and developing top engineering talent

• Ability to balance hands-on technical leadership with high-level strategic decision-making

• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, engineering execution, and product development lifecycles

• Experience in venture-backed startups or fast-scaling technology companies

Technologies You Might Work With:

• Languages & Frameworks: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Ruby, Golang, Java, React, Node.js, Django, Flask, FastAPI, Spring Boot

• Cloud & DevOps: AWS (EKS, ECS, Lambda), GCP (GKE, Cloud Run), Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, Jenkins, GitHub Actions

• Databases & Storage: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis

• Other Tools: GraphQL, REST APIs, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Elasticsearch

What Happens Next?

1. Submit your application to join SignalFire’s Talent Ecosystem.

2. We review applications on an ongoing basis to identify strong candidates.

3. If there’s a match, a SignalFire talent partner or a leader from one of our startups may reach out directly.

4. No match yet? We’ll keep your profile on file for future engineering leadership roles in our portfolio.