Head of Engineering (AI)

Harnham; United States; Remote; USD 230,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a pioneering consultancy as the founding Head of Engineering, where you'll have the autonomy to define the tech stack and build a high-impact team. This role offers the unique opportunity to shape AI solutions for enterprise clients, driving innovation at the intersection of technology and business. With a focus on scalable software and a collaborative environment, you will lead engineering engagements and establish best practices from the ground up. If you're passionate about building elegant solutions and want to make a significant impact in a fast-growing firm, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Medical Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid Maternity Leave

Qualifications

• Proven experience in software engineering with tech lead/managerial experience.
• Expertise in building enterprise-grade AI or ML solutions.
• Hands-on skills in modern cloud infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Architect scalable systems across backend, frontend, and AI infrastructure.
• Lead development of LLM-based applications and AI tooling.
• Hire and mentor a high-caliber team across software, AI, and data functions.

Skills

Software Engineering

AI Solutions Development

Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Python

DevOps (Docker, CI/CD)

Leadership

Education

Degree in Computer Science

Degree in Machine Learning

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Docker

Job description

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This range is provided by Harnham. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$230,000.00/yr - $250,000.00/yr

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Connecting Top AI and Machine Learning Talent @ Harnham NYC

Head of Engineering (AI)

Location: New York, NY (Remote Flex – East Coast Hours Preferred)

$230,000–$250,000 base + 20% discretionary bonus

Build the Future of Applied AI

We’re partnered with a boutique AI innovation consultancy that’s redefining how enterprise clients ideate, design, and deploy transformative AI systems. With roots in both North America and Europe, they collaborate with some of the world’s largest companies to translate ambition into real, production-grade outcomes.

This isn’t an R&D lab. This is where strategy meets scalable software.

The Opportunity

As Head of Engineering, you’ll become the founding technical leader in the U.S., reporting directly to the Founder/CEO and NYC-based MD. This role offers 98% autonomy to define the tech stack, build the engineering foundation from scratch, and shape how solutions are delivered at the intersection of AI, software, and business value.

You’ll drive client-facing engineering engagements, serve as a trusted technical partner, and have the flexibility to bring in former colleagues to build a team around you. With three headcount approved (Software Engineering + AI), this is your chance to lay the groundwork for a lean, high-impact, and design-forward team.

What You’ll Do

• Architect scalable, production-grade systems across backend, frontend, and AI infrastructure
• Write code and lead the development of LLM-based applications and AI tooling
• Establish CI/CD pipelines, testing frameworks, documentation, and best practices from scratch
• Design cloud environments and deployment workflows (local, staging, production)
• Own infrastructure for prompt engineering, vector search, embeddings, and more
• Hire, mentor, and scale a high-caliber team across software, AI, and data functions
• Lead agile delivery for enterprise client projects in a consultancy setting
• Collaborate with product and AI leads to scope and deliver impactful AI solutions
• Represent engineering in client engagements with strong communication and leadership presence

What You Bring

• Proven years of commercial experience in software engineering, including tech lead/managerial experience
• Strong backend or full-stack foundation (Python preferred)
• Experience building enterprise-grade AI or ML solutions from the ground up
• Expertise in modern cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and DevOps (Docker, CI/CD)
• Familiarity with LLMs (e.g., OpenAI, Hugging Face), LangChain, or Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Background in consulting or client services, ideally at boutique agencies or hybrid firms
• Hands-on technical skillset paired with growing managerial acumen
• Degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related discipline
• A builder's mindset: low ego, high output, and a passion for elegant solutions

Why Join

• Be the founding Head of Engineering in a fast-growing consultancy
• Own the tech stack, team, and delivery model from 0 → 1
• Work side-by-side with strategy, product, and AI leaders to ship real solutions
• Flexible remote setup, with strong East Coast collaboration
• Competitive compensation + leadership visibility + long-term runway

Interested?

Apply directly with your resume. We’re moving fast for the right person.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Management

• Industries

  Business Consulting and Services, Financial Services, and Technology, Information and Media

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Harnham by 2x

Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid maternity leave

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