Consulting Head of Engineering at ProfoundIQ About Us At ProfoundIQ, we provide on-demand technical leadership and Fractional CTO services for startups and growing businesses. We help founders make smart technology decisions, accelerate product development, and build engineering teams that scale with confidence. We partner with teams at every stage of technical growth, from validating ideas to designing system architecture and managing full product delivery. Our clients include early-stage startups and mid-market companies seeking seasoned technical guidance without the commitment of a full-time executive. Through our CTO-as-a-Service model, we align technology strategy with business goals, strengthen product roadmaps, and establish efficient engineering processes. ProfoundIQ enables founders to turn ideas into scalable products while overcoming technical challenges, attracting strong engineering talent, and building systems that support long-term growth. The Role We're looking for a Senior Consulting CTO to join our growing practice and lead key client engagements. This is a part-time, fractional role to start, with the potential to transition into a full-time leadership position within the next few months as our client portfolio expands. You’ll work closely with our founder and own the end-to-end technical leadership for multiple companies. The role blends the strategic mindset of a CTO with the adaptability, communication skills, and client-focused approach of a management consultant. You'll guide founders through critical technical decisions, shape engineering direction, and help companies build scalable, high-quality products. What You'll Do Client Engagement & Strategy Lead 3-4 fractional CTO engagements simultaneously, typically 10-20 hours per client per week. Develop and execute technology strategies aligned with business objectives. Conduct technical due diligence for investors and board members. Present to C-suite executives, boards, and investor groups on technology matters. Technical Leadership Architect scalable systems and technology stacks for rapid growth scenarios. Evaluate and recommend technology solutions, vendors, and infrastructure decisions. Lead technical risk assessments and mitigation strategies. Guide product development processes and technical roadmap planning. Team Building & Management Design engineering hiring strategies and interview processes. Mentor and develop existing engineering teams. Establish engineering culture, processes, and best practices. Navigate team scaling challenges from 5 to 50+ engineers. Operational Excellence Implement DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment strategies. Establish security protocols and compliance frameworks. Optimize development workflows and engineering productivity. Crisis management and incident response leadership. What We're Looking For Required Experience 12+ years in senior engineering leadership roles (Head of Engineering, VP Engineering, CTO). Proven track record building and scaling engineering teams (hired 20+ engineers). Multi-industry experience across different technology stacks and business models. Startup experience with at least one company from early stage (pre-Series A) to growth stage. Experience with rapid scaling challenges (10x+ team or infrastructure growth). Preferred Background Former founder/co-founder experience with hands-on lessons from unsuccessful exits. Consulting or advisory experience working with multiple companies simultaneously. Technical breadth across web, mobile, cloud infrastructure, and emerging technologies. Industry diversity - experience across B2B SaaS, marketplace, fintech, or other high-growth sectors. Technical Skills Cloud Infrastructure: AWS, Azure, or GCP at enterprise scale Architecture: Microservices, API design, database optimization Security: SOC2, GDPR, cybersecurity frameworks DevOps: Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD, monitoring and observability Programming: Proficiency in modern languages (Python, JavaScript, Go, etc.) Soft Skills Executive Communication: Comfortable presenting to boards and C-suite. Adaptability: Thrives in ambiguous, fast-changing environments. Strategic Thinking: Balances long-term vision with immediate tactical needs. Emotional Intelligence: Navigates complex stakeholder relationships. Teaching Mindset: Enjoys mentoring teams and developing talent. What Makes You Stand Out The Ideal Candidate Has: Battle-tested experience from at least one significant startup failure with tangible lessons learned. Humility and resilience that comes from navigating both successes and setbacks. Deep empathy for the challenges facing founders and early-stage teams. Consulting mindset with the ability to quickly understand new business models. Strong opinions, loosely held - principled but adaptable to client needs. Bonus Points For: Previous fractional/interim executive experience. Open source contributions or technical thought leadership. Experience with fundraising and investor relations. International or remote team management experience. Expertise in AI/ML, blockchain, or other emerging technology areas. What We Offer Compensation & Benefits. Competitive base salary commensurate with experience. Performance-based bonuses tied to client satisfaction and business growth. Professional development budget for conferences, training, and certifications. Flexible PTO and sabbatical opportunities. Growth & Development Ownership of client relationships with significant autonomy. Business development opportunities to build your own client portfolio. Speaking and thought leadership opportunities at industry events. Potential partnership track as the business scales. Work Environment Remote-first culture with quarterly in-person team meetings. Flexible schedule designed around client needs and personal productivity. High-quality home office setup and co-working space allowances. Direct collaboration with experienced founder and growing team.