Heads of Engineering and founding leaders
Hire a Head of Engineering
The first real engineering leader in a company that has been running on founders and senior ICs.
The remit
- The entire engineering org, often 5 to 40 engineers
- Builds the first process, the first hiring loop, the first architecture that has to last
- Frequently the founding technical hire outside the founders
What we calibrate for
- Has built from very little, not only inherited a functioning org
- Comfortable writing code and setting strategy in the same week
- Has survived a pivot or a funding crunch
- Wants the ambiguity rather than tolerating it
Comp context
Base often below market with meaningful equity, so we benchmark both together
Market context for the level, not a quote for your mandate. We benchmark base and equity together against your stage before a shortlist goes out.
Where this level starts and stops
Scope looks like a Director's and the ambiguity looks like a founder's. The common failed hire is someone excellent at a large company who has never worked without a platform team, a recruiter and a roadmap.
Hiring at this level? A calibrated shortlist lands in 5 business days, and the fee is 18% of first-year base, invoiced once they have started work.
Other levels we recruit
Hiring a Head of Engineering? Let’s fill it.
On the intake call you find out whether we already have strong leaders for your role. If we don’t, you hear that too.
Get a shortlistFirst shortlist in 5 business days · no retainer