Shields Group Search
Vice President of Engineering
Shields Group Search, San Francisco, California, United States, 94199
This range is provided by Shields Group Search. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.
Base pay range $300,000.00/yr - $450,000.00/yr
Location: San Francisco, CA
VP of Engineering Early‑Stage AI Company | Enterprise Focus | Hands‑On Builder
Fully in office in San Francisco
Shields Group Search is partnering with a breakout, venture‑backed AI company that is quietly emerging as one of the most compelling infrastructure plays in its category.
The company has raised $7.5M+ in Seed funding from top‑tier Silicon Valley funds and a highly selective group of operator‑angels. Their backers include investors and founders affiliated with firms and ecosystems such as Y Combinator, a16z, Founders Fund, Sequoia‑backed companies, and senior leaders from some of the most successful AI and enterprise software companies of the past decade.
They already have real production traction, paying enterprise customers, and a product actively running in demanding environments. The company has also turned down multiple acquisition offers, choosing to stay independent and build something much larger. They are now gearing up for a Series A, with a clear mandate to harden their systems, scale responsibly, and evolve what they have built into a truly enterprise‑grade platform.
This is a rare opportunity to step into a foundational VP of Engineering role at a company that is already winning, but still early enough that architecture, engineering culture, and execution are wide open.
The Opportunity This role is for a mission‑driven engineering leader who still writes code.
You will own technical direction end‑to‑end while remaining deeply hands‑on. This is not a managerial, hands‑off VP role. You will be in the codebase daily, making architectural decisions, unblocking engineers, and helping transform a fast‑moving, scrappy product into a scalable enterprise system.
The team is moving extremely fast and expects intensity. This is a moment of real execution and short‑term sacrifice, working 6+ days a week alongside a team that is fully committed. The upside reflects that level of commitment. This is the kind of role where equity can meaningfully compound and deliver outsized returns if executed well.
What You Will Do
Own engineering strategy, architecture, and execution across frontend and backend systems
Lead, mentor, and level up a small, high‑caliber engineering team while actively contributing code
Take a product that works today and evolve it into enterprise‑grade infrastructure
Drive enterprise deployment readiness, reliability, scalability, and security
Partner closely with founders on product, roadmap, and company‑level decisions
Establish engineering best practices without slowing down execution speed
Help scale the engineering org thoughtfully as the company approaches Series A
What They Are Looking For
Proven experience building and scaling products at early‑stage startups (Pre‑Seed to Series B)
Strong technical depth across both frontend and backend engineering
A true builder mentality with comfort being in the weeds and solving hard problems directly
Experience with or exposure to enterprise software and production deployment environments
High ownership, self‑agency, and a student‑teacher mindset
Someone curious about the right problems and able to operate without hand‑holding
Comfort with intensity, ambiguity, and short‑term sacrifice in pursuit of long‑term upside
Either a startup‑native engineer or a big‑tech engineer ready to get hands‑on again
Why This Role Is Compelling
$7.5M+ Seed round from elite investors and proven operator‑angels
Real enterprise traction and paying customers
Multiple acquisition offers already declined
Clear and active path toward a Series A
Massive ownership opportunity at a critical inflection point
Founders and team operating with urgency, clarity, and high conviction
This is a
career‑defining opportunity
for an engineering leader who wants real ownership, real responsibility, and real upside, not a polished org with everything already figured out.
If you are a hands‑on VP‑level builder who wants to help define the future of a company that is already proving it belongs among the best, this is worth a conversation.
Seniority level
Executive
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Software Development and Data Infrastructure and Analytics
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Shields Group Search by 2x.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Base pay range $300,000.00/yr - $450,000.00/yr
Location: San Francisco, CA
VP of Engineering Early‑Stage AI Company | Enterprise Focus | Hands‑On Builder
Fully in office in San Francisco
Shields Group Search is partnering with a breakout, venture‑backed AI company that is quietly emerging as one of the most compelling infrastructure plays in its category.
The company has raised $7.5M+ in Seed funding from top‑tier Silicon Valley funds and a highly selective group of operator‑angels. Their backers include investors and founders affiliated with firms and ecosystems such as Y Combinator, a16z, Founders Fund, Sequoia‑backed companies, and senior leaders from some of the most successful AI and enterprise software companies of the past decade.
They already have real production traction, paying enterprise customers, and a product actively running in demanding environments. The company has also turned down multiple acquisition offers, choosing to stay independent and build something much larger. They are now gearing up for a Series A, with a clear mandate to harden their systems, scale responsibly, and evolve what they have built into a truly enterprise‑grade platform.
This is a rare opportunity to step into a foundational VP of Engineering role at a company that is already winning, but still early enough that architecture, engineering culture, and execution are wide open.
The Opportunity This role is for a mission‑driven engineering leader who still writes code.
You will own technical direction end‑to‑end while remaining deeply hands‑on. This is not a managerial, hands‑off VP role. You will be in the codebase daily, making architectural decisions, unblocking engineers, and helping transform a fast‑moving, scrappy product into a scalable enterprise system.
The team is moving extremely fast and expects intensity. This is a moment of real execution and short‑term sacrifice, working 6+ days a week alongside a team that is fully committed. The upside reflects that level of commitment. This is the kind of role where equity can meaningfully compound and deliver outsized returns if executed well.
What You Will Do
Own engineering strategy, architecture, and execution across frontend and backend systems
Lead, mentor, and level up a small, high‑caliber engineering team while actively contributing code
Take a product that works today and evolve it into enterprise‑grade infrastructure
Drive enterprise deployment readiness, reliability, scalability, and security
Partner closely with founders on product, roadmap, and company‑level decisions
Establish engineering best practices without slowing down execution speed
Help scale the engineering org thoughtfully as the company approaches Series A
What They Are Looking For
Proven experience building and scaling products at early‑stage startups (Pre‑Seed to Series B)
Strong technical depth across both frontend and backend engineering
A true builder mentality with comfort being in the weeds and solving hard problems directly
Experience with or exposure to enterprise software and production deployment environments
High ownership, self‑agency, and a student‑teacher mindset
Someone curious about the right problems and able to operate without hand‑holding
Comfort with intensity, ambiguity, and short‑term sacrifice in pursuit of long‑term upside
Either a startup‑native engineer or a big‑tech engineer ready to get hands‑on again
Why This Role Is Compelling
$7.5M+ Seed round from elite investors and proven operator‑angels
Real enterprise traction and paying customers
Multiple acquisition offers already declined
Clear and active path toward a Series A
Massive ownership opportunity at a critical inflection point
Founders and team operating with urgency, clarity, and high conviction
This is a
career‑defining opportunity
for an engineering leader who wants real ownership, real responsibility, and real upside, not a polished org with everything already figured out.
If you are a hands‑on VP‑level builder who wants to help define the future of a company that is already proving it belongs among the best, this is worth a conversation.
Seniority level
Executive
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Software Development and Data Infrastructure and Analytics
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Shields Group Search by 2x.
#J-18808-Ljbffr