Head of Product Engineering

Cape•New York, NY

14h

About The Position

Cape was founded in early 2022 by Palantir and Anduril alums with deep expertise in privacy and national security. While running Palantir’s US national security business, our CEO became passionate about privacy and security on mobile devices. Our mission is to be a force for good in global wireless. At Cape, we are not just another cellular service provider; we are the architects of a privacy-centric movement that starts with the devices in your pocket. We are building a cellular network that helps citizens, including those responsible for our nation’s security, regain control of their own data. We believe that where we are, where we go, and whom we are with are among our most personal information and should be kept private. Privacy is not something you achieve by limiting yourself or by doing less, it is a set of features to be built so you can do more. We have raised money from Andreessen Horowitz and other top-tier VCs, and are excited to grow the team. We are relentless builders, constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible and bringing to life ideas that have never before existed. Innovation is at the core of everything we do. At Cape, we trust our team to deliver greatness and empower them to make a profound impact. As a member of our team, you will collaborate seamlessly with our diverse group of talented engineers and other team members, enjoying dynamic interactions with colleagues from across the organization. Modern connectivity presents a dangerous paradox. Our digital lives and business operations depend on high-bandwidth, ubiquitous communications, yet the underlying infrastructure is fragile, inherently insecure, and easily compromised. These vulnerabilities are not a technical flaw, but rather a systemic risk. We are moving beyond the era of monetizing metadata and users for access; instead, we are creating a resilient, distributed network that protects individuals' identities and data. We have the core technology – the secure network architecture and the ability to protect users' most sensitive information. Your challenge is to transform these fundamental components into a global-scale reality and bridge the gap between world-class engineering and a seamless enterprise & consumer-grade experience. You will lead the charge in architecting a resilient platform that serves as the backbone for both high-growth consumer products and mission-critical enterprise solutions. You will scale the engineering organization to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving business, ensuring capabilities are as timely as they are unbreakable. Cape’s platform gives customers end-to-end control of their digital identity, optimizing for resiliency, privacy, and security at every turn. We’re transforming how customers sign up, use, and think about their mobile phones. Customers are protected at every level of the communications stack – from the mobile device, through contested infrastructure, to the core of the network itself. As the Head of Product Engineering, you will work across multiple business lines (Consumer, Enterprise, and Government) to build the platform and infrastructure that accommodates a highly diverse user base. You will own the technical operational cadence, partnering with Business Development, Product, and your engineering leads to execute our strategic vision. You will be deeply involved in both the short-term execution and long-term strategy of our platform architecture. Your charge is to grow the business and empower your engineers to work autonomously, making decisions swiftly within a community that challenges them to solve mission-critical problems.

Requirements

Technical Foundation: Engineering background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a similar field.
Scale Expertise: Demonstrated success leading engineering organizations that have built and operated high-concurrency, distributed systems serving millions of users.
Cloud & Infrastructure: Deep experience with global cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure) and container orchestration (Kubernetes). You understand how to maintain 99.99% availability in a zero-trust environment.
Security & Privacy DNA: A deep understanding of modern cryptography, identity management (OIDC, SAML), and privacy-preserving technologies (GDPR, SOC2).
Observability: Experience building monitoring and telemetry stacks that ensure system health and performance without compromising user privacy or metadata.
Product Synthesis: A track record of working as a peer to Product and Design leaders to translate a complex technical roadmap into a world-class user journey.
Communication: The ability to articulate complex technical concepts with authority and clarity to everyone from a Board of Directors to a 22-year-old developer.

Nice To Haves

An active or ability to obtain a U.S. Top Secret (TS) security clearance is a significant plus, but not required.

Responsibilities

Technical Vision & Strategy: Architect and execute the roadmap for a secure, resilient, and scalable platform that supports both everyday consumer use and the nation's most critical missions.
Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and inspire a world-class team of engineers. Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and unwavering integrity, empowering the team to deliver high-impact solutions.
Product & Customer Partnership: Serve as a key technical partner to our customers and internal stakeholders, translating complex requirements into tangible, deployed solutions. Ensure Cape is viewed not just as a provider, but as a trusted partner in advancing security and privacy.
Operational Excellence: Define and uphold the highest standards for engineering practices, security protocols, and delivery timelines across all business lines.
Cross-Sector Integration: Bridge our core technology with the specific, demanding requirements of various landscapes, from highly regulated government environments to the frictionless expectations of the consumer market.