About the job
Head of Engineering
Location: Sydney (Hybrid)
Package: Highly Competitive + Strong Equity Component
Our client is building a category-defining technology platform in a highly regulated, high-impact domain where product quality, reliability, and execution truly matter.
They are seeking a Head of Engineering to lead technical strategy, scale systems and teams, and work hands-on across product, operations, and platform. This is a rare opportunity to help build a generational business from the ground up, alongside experienced founders, on problems that meaningfully improve people’s lives.
This is not a “run the backlog” leadership role. It is for a deeply technical, high-ownership engineering leader who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast with limited resources, and holds themselves and their team to an unreasonably high bar.
The Role
You will own engineering end-to-end: people, systems, architecture, delivery, and culture.
You’ll operate as both architect and operator setting long-term technical direction while staying close to implementation and execution. In a given week, you may work across core platform architecture, customer-facing product, operational tooling, integrations with partners or devices, and the systems that enable real-world service delivery.
You’ll partner closely with Product, Design, Operations, and Leadership to turn complex, ambiguous problems into simple, scalable solutions.
This role is ideal for someone who wants to build something enduring, not just ship features.
What You’ll Do
- Own Technical Direction & Architecture: Define and evolve a scalable, secure, and resilient platform that supports growth across products, locations, and markets.
- Build & Lead High-Performance Teams: Hire, mentor, and develop engineers and leaders. Create clarity, raise the bar, and foster a culture of accountability, craft, and continuous improvement.
- Operate Hands-On: Contribute directly to system design, critical implementations, and technical decision-making, especially where speed, quality, and pragmatism matter.
- Deliver in Complex, Real-World Environments: Build technology that supports not only digital experiences, but also real-world operations, integrations, and workflows.
- Scale with Discipline: Design repeatable infrastructure and processes to support expansion into new products, locations, and markets without sacrificing reliability or quality.
- Embed Customer & Outcome Focus: Ensure engineering decisions always serve real user outcomes, operational excellence, and long-term trust, especially in data-sensitive environments.
- Set the Engineering Culture: Model ownership, high standards, empathy, and urgency. Create a team that ships fast, learns fast, and cares deeply about the work.
Experience
- 8+ years as a software engineer across complex, real-world systems
- 3+ years leading engineering teams, owning delivery, performance, and culture
- Strong technical foundation in modern backend and cloud platforms (e.g. Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, AWS/GCP)
- Proven ability to design and scale secure, reliable architectures
- Comfortable building, shipping, and maintaining production systems
- Solid grasp of modern DevOps, CI/CD, and system observability
How You Lead
- Resourceful: You move fast with limited resources and get things done without cutting corners
- High ownership: You take responsibility for outcomes and never hide behind roles or titles
- High standards: You care deeply about quality, execution, and customer experience
- Customer-first: You build with empathy and understand the impact of your work on real people
- Strong teammate: Direct, low-ego, and invested in making the team better
- Comfortable with ambiguity: You create clarity and momentum when the path isn’t obvious
Nice to Have
- Experience in early-stage or scaling environments
- Work on operational platforms, integrations, or real-world systems
- Exposure to AI/automation or data-driven products
- Experience with performance, reliability, and observability at scale
Why This Role
- Build something that matters: Work on technology that has real, measurable impact on people’s lives.
- Foundational leadership: Shape the architecture, culture, and operating model from an early stage.
- High-calibre environment: Collaborate with experienced founders and a team that cares deeply about craft, outcomes, and integrity.
- Growth & ownership: Competitive compensation, equity, and the chance to help build a long-term, category-defining company.
- Hybrid flexibility: Sydney-based with a balanced in-office culture.
If this aligns with the kind of work you want to be known for, let’s talk.
Reach out at danny@salientgroup.com.au
