Head of Engineering
Potpie AI
Potpie is building the foundation layer for spec-driven development in large, complex codebases. We help engineering teams understand, debug, and operate real-world systems using structured context and AI agents. We are not optimizing for demos. We are building systems that work in production.
Backed by investors in the Bay Area and India. Featured in leading media Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider and The Information.
The role
We are looking for a Head of Engineering to build and lead our engineering organization. This is not a coordination role. You will own how engineering works at Potpie. You will work directly with founders to define the roadmap, turn it into execution, and ensure it ships in real environments.
You will also own customer deployments. This is core to the role, not an edge case.
Years of experience
We do not hire strictly based on years.
But this role requires someone who has already spent meaningful time building and leading engineering teams.
You should have experience taking teams from zero to something that works. Hiring, structuring, setting standards, and driving execution.
In most cases, this means 8+ years of experience. We consider this a strong baseline.
More important than the number is what you have done in that time:
- You have built teams, not just joined them
- You have owned systems end-to-end in production
- You have seen what breaks as teams and systems scale
- You have created structure where there was none
What you’ll do
- Manage & Hire — Build and scale the team, run sprints, guide engineers, review PRs, and consistently hire high-quality talent while maintaining a high execution bar
- Lead & Strategize — Define engineering strategy and architecture, work with founders to shape the product roadmap, and translate it into clear, actionable execution plans
- Build & Ensure Quality — Stay close to the code, drive execution, and ensure correctness, reliability, and compliance in production systems
- Own Deployments & Demos — Lead customer deployments end-to-end, give technical demos, manage expectations, unblock issues, and use real-world learnings to improve the product and architecture
- Lead & Deliver — You have led engineering teams and shipped systems that run reliably in production, not just built prototypes
- Build & Scale Teams — You have built or scaled teams effectively, know how to operate as teams grow, and consistently hire and raise the bar
- Execute with Clarity — You can take an ambiguous roadmap and turn it into structured execution with clear tickets, priorities, and strong sprint discipline
- Operate in Real Environments — You are comfortable working directly with customers, understand real-world system failures, balance speed with quality, and can manage managers without losing visibility or creating bottlenecks
- Python, Node.js, Java
- React, Next.js
- LLMs, embeddings, retrieval systems
- AWS, GCP and Azure
- PostgreSQL, Redis
- Distributed systems and APIs
- Experience building developer tools or platform products
- Experience with AI/ML systems in production
- Experience working with large codebases or complex infra
- Open source or strong technical writing
- Not a pure management role
- Not a roadmap-only role without execution ownership
- Not isolated from customers or real-world deployments
We are a small, tight team. People like working with each other. There is trust, directness, and very little noise.
We work closely with our customers. Often from their offices. You will see how systems behave in the real world, not just in controlled environments. Feedback loops are fast, and expectations are high.
No two days look the same. Some days are deep architecture work. Some are debugging production issues with customers. Some are shaping the roadmap with founders. You need to enjoy that mix.
We care about ownership. If something is broken, we fix it. If something is unclear, we bring clarity. There is no “someone else will handle it.”
We keep things simple. Direct communication. Low ego. High accountability.
You also get the upside of working at an early-stage company. You will shape the product, the team, and how engineering works here.
Why should you join Potpie?
- Strong customer pull We are already seeing real demand from enterprise customers. This is not speculative. Teams are actively looking for a solution like this, and we are in the middle of that demand curve already working with F500s and public companies.
- Deployed with leading enterprises The product is already live in real-world environments with enterprise customers. You won’t be building in isolation, you’ll be shaping a system that is actively used in production.
- At an inflection point We have early validation, a growing pipeline, and clear momentum. More importantly, we are solving a very critical problem in software engineering that every large team struggles with today. The need for this is widely acknowledged, and the opportunity ahead is significant. The next phase is about scaling execution and capturing that opportunity.
- Venture-backed with momentum We’ve recently raised capital and have the backing to move fast. The focus now is execution, growth, and building a category-defining company.
- Define a foundational layer for engineering If we get this right, Potpie becomes a foundational layer for how modern engineering systems are built and operated inside enterprises globally.
- Meaningful upside as an early leader You will be one of the first senior hires shaping the company. This comes with competitive compensation and significant ESOP ownership. Given the stage we are at today, the upside on ESOPs over the next 3 to 4 years can be substantial with good execute.