VP of Engineering

Department: Engineering

Location: San Francisco

Compensation: $250K – $320K

Employment Type: FullTime

Cambium is the AI-powered platform modernizing the wood economy, and we're looking for a seasoned engineering leader whose business instincts are as sharp as their technical depth. As VP of Engineering, you'll own the architecture, technical roadmap, and engineering team behind a data heavy product that helps wood buyers and suppliers make better decisions and build better physical products. Some of our digital platform is in production; much of it is still 0→1, and you're the kind of leader who moves without waiting for all the answers.

You'll partner closely with the CEO and the Senior Director of Product. Product owns the what and the why; you own the how. You'll have the latitude to shape the team to fit where the platform is headed rather than inherit it as-is. This is a role for a decisive leader who'll roll up their sleeves early, bring the discipline to scale, and earn trust through action.

What You’ll Do Here

• Own and defend the technical vision and roadmap across logistics, chain of custody, fintech, inventory, and customer-facing platforms.

• Architect scalable, modular, cloud-based infrastructure across hardware-software integration, merchant services, and real-time inventory management — built for long-term growth and flexibility.

• Lead the design of systems that integrate hardware and software to support real-time logistics and operational management.

• Be a data infrastructure leader, equally comfortable integrating with business systems of record like NetSuite and Hubspot (owned by other depts), as well as owning and scaling custom ones (owned by you).

• Set and enforce engineering standards across code quality, architectural guidelines, security, and reliability — and drive optimizations in mission-critical areas like logistics and fintech.

• Partner directly with the Senior Director of Product and CEO to align technical execution with product strategy and ensure Cambium's technology improves user experience, data transparency, and operational functionality.

• Bridge business needs and engineering reality with non-technical stakeholders — clearly, directly, without ego.

• Apply AI/ML tooling with intention — enhancing platform capabilities without losing focus on resilience and scalability.

• Build, mentor, and scale the engineering team. Culture, craft, and ownership are non-negotiable.
  

Your Skill Sets and Capabilities Include

• 15+ years leading engineering teams at scale; Series B or growth-stage experience required.

• Deep expertise in complex software architecture: logistics, fintech, hardware-software integration, customer-facing platforms.

• Familiar with the challenges of keeping data consistent across multiple databases — sync issues, conflicting sources of truth, schema drift — and has worked through both technical and organizational solutions to address those challenges.

• Hands-on technical execution experience, with the ability to operate as a player-coach.

• Proven ability to move through ambiguity without losing momentum or dropping projects.

• Strong backbone: you give and receive direct feedback, push back with conviction, and build trust through honesty.

• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to translate complex business requirements into practical technical solutions.

• Expertise in modular architecture, API design, data storage, cloud infrastructure, and security.

• Proven mentor and team-builder who sets a high bar, shares the credit, and builds cultures where ownership and learning are the norm.

• Actively evaluates and stress-tests AI/ML tooling for real workflow integration — not just awareness, but hands-on judgment about what ships and what doesn't, including how it factors into headcount and team structure decisions.

• Bachelor's in CS or Engineering; master's preferred.
  

The Details

• This role will report to: Ben Christensen, CEO

• Salary Range: $250,000 - $320,000 plus bonus

• When: We’re looking to fill this role immediately

• Where: San Francisco, CA hybrid 3x/week
  

Benefits and Perks

• Equity options package

• Unlimited PTO and flexible schedule

• 401k matching

• Comprehensive medical, dental & vision insurance

• Work with an incredibly smart, diverse, climate mission-driven team

• An opportunity to play a core role in defining our fast-growing company

• Volunteer tree planting days

Cambium is committed to building an inclusive organization that reflects the diverse communities our team works to serve. We believe that diversity in all its forms (gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, veteran's status, disability and more) is essential to imagining and actively building a more just and sustainable future for all. We hope you feel welcome here. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.