Head of Engineering

Fonzi AI; United States; Hybrid; USD 225,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing AI startup in the United States is seeking a Head of Engineering who will lead a talented team while remaining hands-on with coding. This role involves driving the technical strategy and building a strong engineering culture. The ideal candidate has proven AI expertise, recent leadership experience, and technical depth in modern frameworks. The position offers a vibrant startup environment with a competitive salary and significant equity.

Qualifications

• Developed and shipped AI-powered products to production for 1+ years at respectable scale.
• Recent experience writing production code and managing engineering teams.
• Experience in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the engineering team while remaining deeply technical.
• Ship production code and drive architectural decisions.
• Integrate the latest LLM technologies into production.

Skills

AI/LLM expertise

TypeScript

Node.js

React

Next.js

Hands-on leadership

Systems thinking

Product mindset

Communication excellence

Job description

Join to apply for the Head of Engineering role at Fonzi AI

We’re a well‑funded, fast‑growing startup revolutionizing hiring through AI. Recently launched, we’ve already attracted thousands of top engineers to our platform. Our vision is to build an AI‑powered recruiting marketplace that connects millions of candidates and companies, where AI recruiters learn what you do, what you’re interested in, and match you to perfect opportunities automatically.

The Role

We’re seeking a Head of Engineering who thrives at the intersection of hands‑on technical leadership and people management. You’ll be writing code alongside your team while driving technical strategy and building a world‑class engineering culture.

You’ll own our entire engineering organization, partnering closely with our CEO to ship products that will change how hiring works forever. This is a rare opportunity to be both architect and builder, mentor and maker, strategist and shipper.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and grow our engineering team while remaining deeply technical and hands‑on
• Ship production code while driving architectural decisions
• Bring cutting‑edge AI capabilities into production, evaluating and integrating the latest LLM technologies
• Drive technical strategy that balances speed with scalability – we ship fast and iterate fearlessly
• Build engineering processes that empower autonomy while maintaining quality
• Partner with leadership to translate business vision into technical reality
• Foster productive technical debates that lead to better solutions
• Be the technical glue that brings the entire company together

Required Experience

• Proven AI/LLM expertise: Developed and shipped AI‑powered products to production for 1+ years at respectable scale with real users
• Hands‑on leadership: Recent experience both writing production code and managing engineering teams
• Startup DNA: Demonstrated success in fast‑moving, resource‑constrained environments where priorities shift quickly
• Technical depth: Strong experience with TypeScript, Node.js, React, and Next.js
• Systems thinking: Ability to design scalable architectures while knowing when to incur technical debt strategically
• Product mindset: Deep understanding of how engineering decisions impact users and business outcomes
• Communication excellence: Ability to drive productive technical discussions and align diverse perspectives

Nice to Have

• Experience with voice AI/conversational interfaces
• Background in marketplaces or recruiting technology
• Experience with Temporal workflows, Vercel deployments
• Track record of scaling engineering teams from 5+ people – knowing when and how to add just enough structure as you grow

What Makes This Special

• Ground‑floor opportunity: Join at the perfect inflection point – post‑launch with strong early traction
• Cutting edge: Be at the forefront of AI’s rapid evolution, experimenting with and implementing the latest technologies
• Dual growth path: Evolve as both a leader and hands‑on technical expert, a rare combination
• Massive impact: Build the foundation that will fundamentally change how people find jobs and companies hire
• True ownership: Real influence on product direction and company strategy
• No bureaucracy: Direct line to CEO, minimal politics, maximum impact

Location

Brooklyn, NY – 3 days/week in office (Mondays required + 2 flexible days)

Compensation

$225,000 – $250,000 base + meaningful equity