Head of Engineering (Contract)

UP.Labs•Los Angeles, CA

48d

About The Position

We’re partnering with a global energy industry leader to build an AI-driven intelligence platform that turns complexity into clarity — enabling organizations to understand change faster, act decisively, and unlock new levels of strategic advantage. This is a rare opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with a global market leader, tackling high-impact problems with cutting-edge technology and taking bold ideas from 0 to 1. We're building a next-generation intelligence platform powered by advanced AI, designed to help organizations make faster, smarter, more confident decisions in complex environments. As Head of Engineering, you’ll serve as both technical architect and engineering leader for two new AI-powered enterprise SaaS ventures within our studio. You’ll drive the full lifecycle of the builds—from validating early technical feasibility and architecture, to assembling and leading a high-performing team, to delivering the first production release that proves commercial and technical viability. You’ll collaborate with the venture’s Product Lead, Data Science Lead, and corporate partner to turn raw concepts into real software—bridging innovation with execution. Please note this is a 12 month contract (1099). Extension possibility TBD.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in software engineering leadership, including experience building and managing technical teams in startups or high-growth environments.
Proven track record of delivering 0→1 software products, ideally enterprise or B2B SaaS solutions with data- or AI-centric components.
Deep fluency in modern cloud architectures (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and infrastructure-as-code principles.
Hands-on experience with Databricks, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, and GitHub Actions.
Proficiency in Python and TypeScript/JavaScript, and familiarity with frameworks such as Django, React, Node.js, Next.js, or Nest.js.
Experience collaborating with Data Science and ML engineers to deploy AI/ML models in production environments.
Strong understanding of agile and lean development, continuous integration/delivery, and rapid prototyping methods.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate, mentor, and grow technical talent across multiple teams.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills—able to translate complex technical concepts for business stakeholders and non-technical partners.
A builder’s mindset—hands-on, resourceful, and motivated by creating new products in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
Passion for leveraging AI to accelerate software delivery, improve code quality, and shape next-generation engineering practices.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to LLM/RAG architectures or applied AI systems.
Familiarity with secure enterprise integrations and data governance in regulated industries.

Responsibilities

Lead the venture’s engineering function—owning architecture, build, and delivery for all products and systems.
Architect and validate technical approaches for novel AI-driven products, ensuring scalability, security, and performance from day one.
Build and manage high-performing teams of software engineers (in-house and distributed), fostering technical excellence and rapid iteration.
Develop proofs of concept and MVPs that demonstrate technical feasibility and de-risk core assumptions before full-scale development.
Collaborate closely with Product and Data Science to integrate predictive, generative, and analytical models into real-world workflows.
Evangelize AI-enabled development practices, using LLMs, copilot tools, and automation to 10× engineering throughput and code quality.
Be a player-coach—comfortable rolling up your sleeves to design systems, write code, and review architectures when needed.
Partner with corporate stakeholders to align on technical roadmaps, integration standards, and deployment within enterprise environments.

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