Founding Head of Engineering / VP Position Available In Broward, Florida

Founding Head of Engineering /

VP of Engineering Location:

On-Site – Weston, Florida (Greater Fort Lauderdale Area) strongly preferred; Ability to ramp-up remotely prior to in-person

Base Compensation:

$200-$250

K/year Bonus:

10-20% of base comp (performance-based)

Equity:

Competitive to market About Phoenix Technologies Phoenix Technologies is revolutionizing ecommerce by addressing critical gaps left by platforms like Shopify, empowering D2C brands with unprecedented flexibility and innovation. Phoenix serves ambitious merchants who require advanced control and optimization to thrive in competitive markets. Since our launch in October 2023, Phoenix has experienced rapid adoption, achieving 35% month-over-month growth and 8-figure ARR in early 2025. Our comprehensive suite of products-each embedded with AI-driven capabilities-enables merchants to fully customize their customer journeys, payments, and support experiences without the need for extensive coding or fragmented third-party integrations. Led by experienced serial entrepreneurs, including a CEO with $150M in ecommerce sales and an executive team with multiple successful exits, our goal is to become a $1 billion company by 2028. Our culture emphasizes high-performance, accountability, and innovation, attracting merchants who share our vision of redefining ecommerce success. Position Overview We’re seeking a Founding Head of Engineering / VP of Engineering who is not only technically exceptional but also a proven leader. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has deep startup product experience and a track record of successfully leading teams in the development of modern applications and platforms using React and Node.js . You’ll be responsible for building and scaling our engineering team and leading the development of multiple applications and a unified platform that drives our e-commerce operations. If you’re someone who prefers to delegate from a distance rather than directly engage in execution and get your hands dirty, this role won’t be the right fit for you. On-site in Weston, Florida is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities Team Leadership & Hiring:

Build, scale, and lead a world-class engineering team across front-end, back-end, and platform development disciplines. Lead Phoenix’s transition from an agency-driven, offshore development team based in India to a “cracked” on-shore team.

Technical Strategy:

Own the technical vision and architecture for our multi-application e-commerce platform.

Development Oversight:

Oversee and guide the full software development lifecycle for all applications – from design and development to deployment and optimization.

Hands-On Leadership:

Engage directly with code when necessary to set standards, unblock teams, or drive key initiatives.

Platform & Application Delivery:

Deliver scalable, resilient, and high-performance applications and services with modern tech stacks (React, Node.js, APIs, microservices).

Collaboration:

Partner closely with Product, Design, and Executive teams to align engineering initiatives with business goals.

Quality & Performance:

Drive best practices in software engineering, including code reviews, testing, CI/CD pipelines, and system performance.

Innovation:

Constantly identify opportunities for technical innovation and efficiency to support the rapid evolution of the business. Required Experience 12+ years of software engineering experience with a minimum of 4 years in leadership roles. Proven experience leading engineering teams in e-commerce environments and deep understanding of Shopify, Merchant Processing, Gateways, Apps, Integrations, etc. is preferred. A lack of direct ecommerce enablement experience can be overcome with a strong track record of successfully building products in dynamic startup environments and the ability to quickly ramp up industry-specific knowledge. Deep technical expertise with full-stack experience (Node.js preferred for backend; React for frontend) Proficiency in RDBMS like MySQL, MongoDB, etc.

Hands-on leader:

Willing to code daily while also mentoring engineers. If you only want to delegate and manage, you are not a good fit for this role. Demonstrated ability to build, manage, and mentor high-performing engineering teams. Strong communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Startup mindset:

Scrappy, entrepreneurial, and thrives in a fast-paced, execution-driven environment. Experience working with offshore teams and enforcing deadlines effectively. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field preferred Why Join Us?

Massive growth opportunity:

We’re scaling fast and need top-tier technical leadership. You will be tasked with building out an on-shore, cracked engineering team as we move away from our existing offshore agency-driven solution so there’s an opportunity to make your mark on a rapidly growing startup. Join colleagues that are committed to a “win at all costs” mindset and be a part of an exceptional culture.

Equity potential:

This role comes with significant upside as we push to become a $1B+ company by 2028.

High-impact work:

Own and execute critical tech decisions that directly influence revenue growth. We project $250M+ in GMV in 2025. Enjoy living and working in Sunny Weston, FL, consistently ranked among the best places to live in America. Weston offers beautiful neighborhoods, exceptional schools, lush parks, and close proximity to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.