Head of Engineering

Creative Chaos is seeking a Head of Engineering to lead the engineering organization, driving technical direction, execution, and growth across technology teams.

The role requires operating at both strategic and technical levels, shaping engineering practices, architecture, and collaborating with leadership, product teams, clients, and engineers to deliver high-quality software solutions.

The engineers. You oversee all technical staff at Creative Chaos, including hiring, technical screening, performance management, growth, and making decisions about employee fit. Currently, engineers are distributed across client accounts, with account priorities dictating their focus. Your role is to set the standard for quality and performance.

The bar. Establish and enforce Creative Chaos’ standards for AI, workflows, best practices, architecture reviews, code reviews, testing, security, infrastructure, tools, and exceptional client experiences. Currently, these standards are informally managed by the most senior engineer on an account. Your task is to formalize and enforce these standards across all accounts, regardless of your presence.

Who is on what. Manage staffing across accounts, including the bench, and make assignment decisions that impact utilization.

The technical relationship with the client. You will advise clients on architectural decisions and serve as a trusted technical advisor for clients’ CTOs. Many engagements at Creative Chaos exist because previous consultants failed to deliver on technical requirements.

The hiring plan. Define the engineering talent needed for the next week, month, and year, and develop strategies to attract them. Creative Chaos relies heavily on senior, AI-native engineers with strong communication skills, who are difficult to recruit.

The half of this job that is not technical

Approximately half of this role involves communication and influence. You will spend significant time explaining technical decisions to clients, engineers, and teams. Clients prioritize confidence as much as capability, and you will often be the most senior technical person they interact with.

You will also act as a coach, conducting training sessions, workshops, and code reviews with a focus on mentoring rather than gatekeeping. The standards will only be upheld if the team is motivated to meet them.

If you are the strongest engineer in the room but nobody seeks you out for guidance, this role may not be the right fit. Technical depth is equally weighted with leadership skills in our evaluation process.

What you do not own

Contracts, invoicing, pricing, and commercial relationships fall under the purview of the Head of Engagements. You and the Head of Engagements will collaborate closely, particularly on staffing decisions, with the Head of Engagements focusing on client relationships and you on quality, standards, and engineering output.

The first 90 days

By day 30: You should have a comprehensive understanding of every account, every engineer, and the areas with the highest quality risks. You will also provide feedback to Creative Chaos about our delivery that may not be immediately welcome.

By day 60: AI standards will be implemented across engineering. You will be conducting training sessions and workshops, and assisting engineers in their respective areas.