Head of Software - PERM - California (Hybrid)

About The Company

We are building the world's first AI-powered smart toothbrush—a 20-second oral care system that uses computer vision to deliver comprehensive cleaning and real-time health insights. We're not just making a better toothbrush; we're unlocking the connection between oral health and systemic health, including heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline.

We're a small, intense team scaling toward 45,000 units in 2026. Every system you build will directly impact how people take care of their health.

The Role

We're looking for a Head of Software to own engineering execution across our entire software stack—iOS app, backend, cloud infrastructure, frontend, and internal tools. You'll lead a small team (currently 2 engineers), write production code yourself, and build the systems that power every device in the field.

This is a player-coach role. You'll spend about 50% of your time leading (1:1s, sprint planning, unblocking, cross-functional coordination), 30% coding, and 20% on technical strategy. You report to the CTO and work closely with our Head of AI.

The right person will eventually grow this team and could be on a path to CTO.

What You'll Own

• Engineering team management—hiring, 1:1s, performance, unblocking
• Backend systems and API development (Python)
• Cloud infrastructure (AWS)—deployment, monitoring, incident response
• Frontend development (React/TypeScript), including using AI coding tools to cover gaps
• Internal automation and tooling
• Coordination with firmware engineers and Head of AI on cross-functional work

What Success Looks Like

At 90 days: The CTO and Head of AI have 100% confidence that software execution is handled. Code ships, incidents get resolved, and the engineering team operates without constant oversight.

At 12 months: You've grown the team, systems are reliable and scalable for 45K units, and you're contributing to product roadmap decisions.

Requirements

Must Have

• Strong hands-on coding ability in Python, PostgreSQL, and AWS
• Experience managing engineers—running 1:1s, setting expectations, holding people accountable
• Ownership of deployment pipelines, monitoring, and incident response
• Ability to operate with high autonomy in ambiguous environments
• Genuine desire for both IC work AND leadership—this is non-negotiable

Strong Preferences

• Previous startup experience
• React/TypeScript frontend experience
• Proficiency with AI coding tools (Cursor, Copilot)
• AI/ML literacy—enough to collaborate effectively with our Head of AI

Bonus

• Mobile development (Swift/Android)
• Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform)
• Experience scaling systems for hardware/IoT products
• Experience growing a team from 2-3 to 5+

Who This Isn't For

• Pure people-managers who haven't written production code in years
• Brilliant ICs who see leadership as a burden rather than an opportunity
• Big-company operators who need defined processes to function
• Anyone who waits to be told what to do

Compensation

• Competitive; determined on a case-by-case basis depending on experience, scope, and overall fit. Base salary and equity considered.
• Culver City HQ preferred; SF, Austin, or other locations with easy travel also considered