Head of Software

Tacit•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Tacit is an early-stage deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing hardware that rethinks human-computer interaction. The Head of Software Engineering will lead and scale a highly technical software organization spanning consumer applications, real-time inference systems, cloud infrastructure, and core R&D platforms. Reporting directly to the CTO, this person will build on the team’s existing technical foundations, accelerate product development, and shape how Tacit builds software in the age of AI. The role calls for exceptional people leadership, AI-native engineering practices, and strong technical judgment. The initial software team is approximately five engineers. The role will oversee recruiting, mentoring, and developing talent across product, infrastructure, and systems engineering; champion practical adoption of frontier AI models, coding agents, and automated workflows; and translate product strategy into engineering priorities and milestones. The Head of Software Engineering will partner with ML, hardware, firmware, and product teams to turn technical breakthroughs into user experiences while maintaining high standards for architecture, reliability, and security. Tacit describes this as an opportunity to help define how humans interact with computers, translate scientific breakthroughs into consumer products, and build a world-class software organization with direct access to executive leadership, significant autonomy, and substantial resources.

Requirements

A proven track record of recruiting, developing, and leading high-performing software engineering teams that deliver ambitious technical goals.
Deep hands-on experience with frontier AI models, coding agents, and AI-native development workflows, and strong convictions about AI’s impact on software engineering.
A strong software engineering background and technical judgment, including experience architecting complex systems and balancing rapid execution with long-term quality.
Excellent communication and organizational leadership skills, with the ability to establish clarity, ownership, and accountability without unnecessary process.
High ownership in a fast-moving startup environment and willingness to engage deeply in technical decisions and problem-solving.

Nice To Haves

Leadership experience at frontier AI companies such as OpenAI or Anthropic, or at high-growth AI-native product organizations.
Experience scaling software engineering organizations from early stage through major commercial product launches.
A background shipping complex systems spanning hardware, software, real-time ML, or consumer applications.

Responsibilities

Lead and grow the software team, initially approximately five engineers, by recruiting, mentoring, and developing talent across product, infrastructure, and systems engineering.
Champion practical adoption of frontier AI models, coding agents, and automated workflows to increase engineering productivity.
Translate product strategy into clear engineering priorities and milestones while maintaining standards for architecture, reliability, and security.
Build on existing technical foundations and accelerate delivery of consumer applications, real-time AI systems, and internal platforms.
Partner with ML, hardware, firmware, and product teams to translate technical breakthroughs into compelling user experiences.