Head of Federal Engineering

Cape•New York, NY

About The Position

Cape’s platform gives customers end-to-end control of their digital identity, even as they connect to untrusted networks, optimizing for resiliency, privacy, and security at every turn. As the Head of Federal Engineering, you will gain rare insight into the world’s most challenging environments. You will own the technical execution of the federal business, partnering with Business Development and Product to bridge the gap between our core technology and the specific, demanding requirements of our government partners. You will cultivate a high-performing technical team, providing the mentorship needed to deliver outcomes in highly regulated spaces. Your charge is to grow the business and empower your engineers to work autonomously in remote locations, making great technical decisions to build the most overlooked yet critical components of modern Command and Control (C2)--the transport layer.

Requirements

Engineering background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Computer Engineering, Physics or similar field.
Demonstrated success leading engineering teams that have built, deployed, and sustained software solutions for U.S. government, defense, or intelligence community customers.
Understanding of modern software architecture, particularly for secure, scalable, and distributed systems. Experience with both cloud (e.g., AWS GovCloud, Azure Government) as well as air-gapped environments, and familiarity with federal security compliance standards (e.g., FedRAMP, RMF, STIGs) is helpful.
Proven ability to define a technical strategy and execute against it, aligning engineering efforts with both customer mission objectives and broader business goals.
The ability to articulate complex technical concepts with authority and clarity to a wide range of audiences, from your own engineers to senior government officials and non-technical stakeholders.
An active U.S. Top Secret (TS) security clearance is strongly preferred. At a minimum, you must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Proven ability to learn continuously, work independently, and make decisions with minimal supervision.
A belief that the best leaders empower their teams to achieve the impossible. You are a mentor and a force-multiplier, dedicated to growing the next generation of engineering leaders and fostering a culture where every individual can do their best work in service of the mission.
The ability to take a thoughtful, practical approach to problem-solving that considers tradeoffs and avoids over-engineering.
Skill and comfort working in a constantly evolving environment with dynamic objectives and iteration with users.
The ability to work collaboratively in teams of technical and non-technical individuals and understand how technical decisions impact the customer.
Understanding of cryptographic systems and how to design privacy conscious solutions.
The ability to learn new technology and concepts, even without in-depth experience.
The ability to balance a forward-looking vision with the concrete realities of government requirements and constraints. You find creative yet practical paths to deploy modern technology within highly regulated environments, ensuring solutions are not just innovative, but also accreditable and effective.
You are more than a technical leader; you are a diplomat and a strategist. You excel at building strong, collaborative relationships with government partners and internal stakeholders, translating mission needs into technical reality with clarity and conviction.

Responsibilities

Architect and execute the technical vision for our federal engineering organization, building the secure, resilient, and scalable network and platform that our nation's most critical missions depend on. Your leadership will directly translate our privacy-first ethos into capabilities that protect and empower those in public service.
Lead, mentor, and inspire a world-class team of engineers dedicated to solving the nation's toughest Command and Control challenges. You will foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and unwavering integrity, empowering your team to deliver solutions that meet the highest standards of excellence and impact.
Serve as the key technical partner to our federal customers, translating their complex mission requirements into tangible, deployed solutions. You will build and nurture deep relationships, ensuring that we are not just a vendor, but a trusted partner in advancing national security and public trust.
Take complete ownership and serve as the technical owner for our federal customers. You will ensure that our engineering practices, security protocols, and delivery timelines set a new standard for what is possible in government technology.
Steer our engagement with the unique challenges and opportunities of the federal landscape. You will be the bridge between our core technology and the specific, demanding requirements of our government partners, ensuring our solutions are always at the vanguard of innovation and mission-ready.