Head of Engineering - Platform

Harnham; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 280,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30% annual bonus

RSUs

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Harnham in Mountain View, CA, is hiring an Engineering leader to own the architecture and modernization of licensing and accounts platforms. You will guide the transformation of multiple Java-based services and design scalable licensing frameworks across products.

You will collaborate with Product Management, Architecture and Engineering to align strategy and execution, mentor senior engineers, and drive a long-term technical roadmap for critical systems.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of software engineering experience with leadership responsibilities.
• 5+ years at Director level or above.
• Deep expertise in backend systems, especially Java-based architectures.
• Strong experience in system design and large-scale transformation.
• Proven track record owning and executing technical roadmaps.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and modernization strategy for licensing and accounts platforms.
• Lead transformation of complex backend systems, including multiple Java-based services.
• Design scalable licensing frameworks supporting multiple products and interfaces.
• Simplify integrations across products to reduce complexity and improve maintainability.
• Define and execute the long-term technical roadmap for licensing and accounts systems.
• Provide deep technical leadership across architecture, design reviews, and best practices.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering to align strategy and execution.
• Mentor senior engineers and engineering leaders while scaling the team.

Skills

Java backend architectures

System design

Platform architecture

Technical roadmaps

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Mentoring engineers

Job description

Mountain View, CA – Hybrid (3 days/week onsite)

$280,000 – $300,000 Base + Bonus + RSUs

THE COMPANY

Harnham is partnering with a Fortune 500 leader in cybersecurity that is looking for a new Engineering leader. The company combines the scale of an established enterprise with a scrappy, high-ownership culture, and is currently investing heavily in modernizing its core engineering infrastructure. This role sits within the Licensing & Shared Services Engineering organization, focused on transforming business-critical licensing and accounts platforms that power multiple products globally.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the architecture and modernization strategy for licensing and accounts platforms.
• Lead transformation of complex backend systems, including multiple Java-based services.
• Design scalable, reusable licensing frameworks supporting multiple products and interfaces.
• Simplify integrations across products, reducing system complexity and improving maintainability.
• Define and execute the long-term technical roadmap for licensing and accounts systems.
• Provide deep technical leadership across system architecture, design reviews, and engineering best practices.
• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Architecture, and Engineering teams to align strategy and execution.
• Guide integration approaches across multiple product lines and ensure system scalability and resilience.
• Mentor senior engineers and engineering leaders while scaling and strengthening the team.
• Act as a change agent, challenging legacy systems and driving modernization initiatives.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, with significant leadership experience.
• 5+ years at Director-level or above.
• Deep expertise in backend systems, particularly Java-based architectures.
• Strong experience in system design, platform architecture, and large-scale system transformation.
• Proven experience owning and executing technical roadmaps for complex platforms.
• Experience managing and influencing teams of 20+ engineers in highly cross-functional environments.
• Strong experience designing integrations across multiple systems and product ecosystems.
• Ability to simplify complex technical domains and drive architectural clarity.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across engineering and business teams.

PREFFERED EXPERIENCE

• Experience with licensing, entitlement, or accounts platforms.
• Experience with cloud modernization initiatives.
• Exposure to regulated or legally constrained systems.
• Background in high-scale consumer or enterprise platforms.

BENEFITS

The compensation package includes a competitive base salary, 30% annual bonus, RSUs with significant flexibility, and a comprehensive benefits package.

KEY TERMS

Software Engineering Leadership | Platform Architecture | Java | Backend Systems | Licensing Systems | Entitlement Systems | Shared Services | System Modernization | Cloud | Enterprise Systems | Integration | Scalable Platforms | Cybersecurity | Technical Leadership | Product Engineering | Scale | Fortune 500 | Migration