Head of Systems Engineering

Athena; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A cutting-edge company seeks a Head of Systems Engineering to lead the development of internal systems integral to operations. This role emphasizes technical depth and leadership, ideal for candidates eager to drive impactful solutions within a dynamic environment. The position offers a chance to shape systems crucial for a rapidly growing global organization.

Benefits

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Stock options

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software engineering; 5+ in leadership roles.
• Experience with system design and API integration.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of internal tools and services.
• Define technical roadmap for internal systems.
• Ensure system reliability and security.

Skills

Technical Leadership

Architectural Judgment

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Excellent Communication

Education

10+ years of software engineering

Tools

APIs

Job description

Join to apply for the Head of Systems Engineering role at Athena

Join to apply for the Head of Systems Engineering role at Athena

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

Base pay range

$200,000.00/yr - $300,000.00/yr

Additional compensation types

Stock options

Direct message the job poster from Athena

Apple and Google Alum | AI Talent Leader | ATHENA

About Athena

At Athena, we empower possibility through transformative delegation. Our mission is to build the world’s best delegation platform—one that combines the precision of highly trained Executive Assistants with the speed and efficiency of cutting-edge AI. This Human+AI partnership enables our clients to delegate more effectively and focus on what matters most.

Our clients are leaders who aim to 10x their impact, and we help make that possible. Athena saves clients over 2 million hours per year, powering their productivity and enabling growth through strategic support.

Role Overview

The Head of Systems Engineering is responsible for leading the team that builds and maintains the internal systems, tools, and data pipelines that power Athena’s business operations. From custom internal applications to third-party integrations and automation workflows, this team enables internal stakeholders to operate more effectively and scale sustainably.

You’ll lead a team of engineers across domains like application development, data engineering, and integrations—ensuring that our internal technology stack remains modern, resilient, and aligned with the needs of the business.

This role is highly cross-functional and business-facing, requiring both technical depth and strong leadership capabilities. It’s ideal for someone who thrives in an environment where impact is measured by how much you enable others to move faster, smarter, and more confidently.

Key Responsibilities

Internal Systems Ownership

• Lead the development of internal tools and services that streamline business operations across teams like Sales, Client Success, and Operations.
• Own the architecture and implementation of critical data pipelines and custom applications.
• Design and maintain integrations between Athena’s systems and third-party SaaS platforms (e.g., CRMs, support tools, scheduling systems).
• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of up to 10 engineers across full-stack, data, and platform engineering domains.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and technical excellence.
• Drive project execution, from discovery and planning through delivery and iteration.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Product, and Data teams to identify bottlenecks, define solutions, and prioritize internal engineering work.
• Translate operational pain points into scalable, high-leverage systems.

Technical Strategy

• Define the technical roadmap for internal systems and tooling.
• Make thoughtful build vs. buy decisions and guide the team toward pragmatic, scalable solutions.
• Establish engineering best practices and frameworks to ensure maintainability and scalability.

System Reliability, Quality & Security

• Ensure high availability and reliability of internal systems and integrations.
• Promote strong security, privacy, and compliance practices across all internal engineering efforts.
• Establish monitoring, alerting, and on-call processes to support operational needs.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with 5+ years in technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams building internal systems, business applications, or data/integration platforms.
• Strong architectural judgment and experience with designing secure, scalable internal systems.
• Experience working with third-party APIs and integrating SaaS tools into internal workflows.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and deliver solutions that empower non-technical teams.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Bonus: Experience in a high-growth startup environment or with AI-powered tools.

Why Athena?

• A chance to shape how thousands of people delegate and scale their work.
• Work with a mission-driven team that values ownership, velocity, and impact.
• Help define the systems that support a rapidly growing global organization.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Industries

  Business Consulting and Services

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Medical insurance

Vision insurance

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