VP of Engineering

1Kosmos$175K — $210K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of software engineering experience with hands-on leadership in B2B SaaS environments.
  • Deep experience in core microservices stack, particularly with Node.js, and also Java or GoLang.
  • Proficiency in containerized, cloud-agnostic environments such as Kubernetes and AWS.
  • Experience with building and operationalizing autonomous agents and workflows, notably using AWS Bedrock.
  • Strong focus on platform security, identity management, and compliance practices.
  • Demonstrated ability in managing both nascent and mature codebases.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a mid-sized engineering team while engaging in technical tasks.
  • Master and take ownership of the current architectural design and its underlying rationale.
  • Optimize and innovate within the agentic stack, enhancing workflows and reliability.
  • Ensure high platform performance, security, and resilience in a cloud-agnostic setup.
  • Collaborate with product and QA teams for clean, reliable, and seamless deployments.
  • Encourage a zero-ego culture that values ownership and execution over presentations.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to build and lead a pivotal role in a Series B startup.
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Unlimited PTO policy for flexibility and work-life balance.
  • A collaborative and fast-paced work environment with immediate impact.
  • Competitive salary and equity package, providing a stake in the company's success.
Full Job Description
The Opportunity

At 1Kosmos, our leaders are active, builder-first contributors. We are looking for an engineering leader who stays close to the code-someone who enjoys diving into technical challenges, understanding system internals, and driving execution from the front lines through active participation in architectural design, code reviews, and hands-on problem-solving.

You possess an "always sleeveless" mindset: no task is too technical, no bug is too small, and no architecture is too complex for you to dive into. You will step into a cloud-agnostic microservices environment, gain deep context on what we've built, and actively drive execution, performance, security, and system evolution.

What You'll Do:

- Lead from the Front: Manage, mentor, and elevate a mid-sized engineering team while remaining deeply technical and hands-on in code, system design, and infrastructure.

- Master Existing Architecture First: Take full ownership of existing architectures. Deeply understand the whybehind our current design decisions before making tactical shifts or introducing new paradigms.

- Build Real Agentic Systems: Work hands-on with our agentic stack (AWS Bedrock / Python / Node), going far beyond basic LLM prompts or chatbots. Open the hood to optimize agent workflows, orchestration, reliability, and security.

- Drive Performance & Security: Maintain a relentless focus on low latency, high throughput, platform resilience, and enterprise security across our cloud-agnostic microservices topology.

- Own Delivery & Reliability: Partner with product and QA leads to ensure clean, reliable, and zero-downtime deployments.

- Foster a Zero-Ego Culture: Build a collaborative environment where ownership is non-negotiable, and execution speaks louder than slides.

Requirements

What We're Looking For

- 10+ years of software engineering experience with recent, hands-on engineering leadership (Director / VP level in high-growth B2B SaaS).

- Core Microservices Stack: Deep, practical experience in Node.js (90% of our stack) alongside Java or GoLang.

- Cloud & Infrastructure: Hands-on mastery of containerized, cloud-agnostic environments (Kubernetes, AWS).

- Applied Agentic Experience: Demonstrated experience building and operationalizing autonomous agents and agentic workflows (experience with AWS Bedrock is a huge plus).

- Security-First Mindset: Deep appreciation for platform security, identity management, compliance, and secure software development practices.

- Leadership Style: Proven track record of both building 0-to-1 systems and taking ownership of mature, inherited codebases.

Who Thrives Here:
• Builders who love creating something from nothing and aren't afraid of rolling up their sleeves
• Fast movers who navigate ambiguity with confidence and iterate at speed
• Problem solvers who are energized by complex, evolving challenges
• Collaborators who can influence without authority and build strong cross-functional relationships
• Data enthusiasts who let evidence drive decisions, not opinions
• Mission-driven professionals passionate about fighting fraud and protecting customers

Benefits

What We Offer:
• Opportunity to build and lead a critical function at a high-growth Series B startup
• Competitive salary and equity package
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Unlimited PTO Policy
• Collaborative, fast-paced culture where your impact is immediate and visible

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