Director of Engineering

Harnham; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 243,000 - 297,000; Full time

Job summary

Harnham is partnering with a venture-backed AI healthtech company to recruit a Director of Engineering who will help build a leading oncology software platform and mentor a small, high-caliber team.

You will remain hands-on for at least half your time, influence architecture and sprint cadence, and shape AI infrastructure and engineering culture as the company scales toward a VP of Engineering role.

Qualifications

• 10+ years building production software.
• Director/Head of Engineering or similar in a hands-on role.
• Strong Python and modern full-stack experience.
• Experience with AI/LLM integration and regulated industries is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of 5–8 engineers while remaining deeply hands-on
• Architect and build large-scale, production-grade software systems
• Drive full-stack development across Python, React, cloud infrastructure, APIs, and mobile-integrated applications
• Establish engineering processes, delivery cadence, CI/CD, observability, and technical standards
• Partner closely with Product, Design, Clinical, and Executive leadership to translate ambitious ideas into shipped products
• Help define the company's long-term AI and engineering strategy

Skills

Python

React

Cloud (AWS/GCP)

CI/CD

Distributed systems

Full-stack

Leadership

Hands-on coding

Tools

AWS/GCP

CI/CD

Job description

Director of Engineering | $270K Base + Bonus + Equity | AI x HealthTech

I'm partnering exclusively with a venture-backed AI healthcare company searching for a Director of Engineering to help build one of the most ambitious software platforms in oncology.

This is not a traditional management role.

They're looking for a true player-coach who still loves building software, solving difficult technical problems, and shaping architecture while leading a small, high-caliber engineering team.

You'll spend at least 50% of your time writing production code, with the remainder focused on technical leadership, sprint execution, mentoring, architecture, and engineering strategy.

The company is leveraging AI, clinical data, and modern software engineering to fundamentally improve how cancer is detected, monitored, and managed. You'll play a central role in integrating AI infrastructure into the product while helping establish the engineering culture during an exciting stage of growth.

What You'll Own

• Lead and mentor a team of 5–8 engineers while remaining deeply hands-on
• Architect and build large-scale, production-grade software systems
• Drive full-stack development across Python, React, cloud infrastructure, APIs, and mobile-integrated applications
• Establish engineering processes, delivery cadence, CI/CD, observability, and technical standards
• Partner closely with Product, Design, Clinical, and Executive leadership to translate ambitious ideas into shipped products
• Help define the company's long-term AI and engineering strategy

Ideal Background

• 10+ years building production software
• Current or former Director, Head of Engineering, Staff/Principal Engineer, or Engineering Manager operating in a player-coach capacity
• Strong Python and modern full-stack engineering experience
• Experience with React, cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP), CI/CD, distributed systems, APIs, and platform architecture
• Experience integrating AI/LLM capabilities into production applications
• Startup experience (Seed, Series A or Series B strongly preferred)
• Healthcare, digital health, biotech, medical device, or regulated fintech experience is highly desirable

Why This Opportunity?

• Meaningful mission with real-world patient impact
• Significant ownership and influence over engineering direction
• Early-stage environment where technical decisions matter
• Opportunity to grow into a VP of Engineering role as the company scales
• Compensation: Up to $270,000 base + 20% bonus + meaningful equity

If you're looking to build AI products that have tangible impact while remaining deeply technical.