Director of Product Engineering
Why this role existsNomad is building the financial and property management infrastructure for the largest, least-served class of entrepreneurs in America: small landlords.We already have:A strong, highly autonomous team of engineersA product customers rely on and valueReal traction and meaningful revenueThis role exists to add leverage to a system that’s already working - helping us move faster, make better decisions, and scale intelligently.The shape of the roleThis is a coach role managing engineers but at the seam of engineering and product. You’re here to:Understand what’s workingImprove how we decide what to build, and how we buildHelp a strong team operate high levels of clarity, speed, and impactNote this role is leading Engineering (with a focus on product Engineering) but is not leading ProductWhat You’ll OwnYou are accountable for outcomes over activity. Product + engineering alignmentHelp define what’s worth building and why, and how we build productBring rigor to opportunities: size, impact, tradeoffs, constraintsPush for clarity before executionIn engineering rooms, you may not be the deepest technical voice. In product rooms, you usually will and you find that asymmetry productive, not awkward. Planning and execution qualityLead strong shaping and planning for cyclesIdentify risks early and force hard tradeoffs upfrontImprove consistency of shipping without adding drag Team leadership and developmentSupport a highly autonomous team without micromanagingBuild trust, context, and alignmentHelp engineers grow in ownership and capability Cross-functional leadershipTranslate complexity into clear decisionsEnsure engineers understand the “why” behind prioritiesCollaborate deeply with product, growth, and operations Technical engagement (without becoming the bottleneck)Engage meaningfully in architecture, scoping, and riskAsk good questions and surface tradeoffsTrust the team’s context rather than prescribing solutions AI evolutionLead us to continually deepen our adoption of AI (paired with human judgement and taste) in how we buildIdentify where AI meaningfully improves the productIncrease leverage of a small teamWhat We’re Looking ForYou likely:Have been a strong engineer and moved into leadership, and maybe even productHave led high-performing engineering teams at a startup or growth-stage companyAre product-minded and think in terms of business outcomesBringing rigor and shape to product ideas before they reach engineering, instead of letting them arrive as creative starting points engineers must reshape mid-build. Know how to balance autonomy with alignmentAnd:You are low ego and collaborativeYou are trusted by engineers and trust them in returnYou can engage technically without needing to control every decisionYou care about developer productivity, happiness, and efficiencyYou have a point of view on how teams evolve from 5 → 10 → 20 engineersYou are AI-pilled but wise enough to leverage the right tool for the jobWhat Success Looks Like (first 6-12 Months)Great, clear engineering decisions (how we build and why) including scoping major buildsMore consistent execution and fewer surprises during cyclesStrong trust across engineering, product, and leadershipEngineers feel supported, challenged, and growingAI meaningfully increases team leverageThis will not be a fit if:You don’t have years of leadership experienceYou want to redesign the org before understanding itYou rely on heavy process to create alignmentYou don’t enjoy concretely defining major new features given the system’s constraintsYou need to be the smartest person in the room on every technical decisionYou prefer large teams, clear layers, and well-defined rolesYou haven’t worked in a small, fast-moving environmentYou’re not genuinely interested in using AI to evolve how teams operateWhy NomadA strong, ownership-driven teamA product customers already valueA large, complex problem space with real financial impactSignificant room to build - we’re earlyFinal noteIf your instinct is to earn trust, bring clarity, and help a strong team operate at a much higher level, we should talk.Location: Denver HQ (strongly preferred)Compensation: Compensation: $180,000 to $240,000 base salary, plus equity. For an exceptional candidate with the right startup scaling experience, we may stretch beyond this range.Compensation Range: $180K - $240K