Consulting Head of Engineering (Part Time) - Hardware, Embedded Systems, IoT & Full-Stack Software

## About the Role ProfoundIQ is hiring a Consulting Head of Engineering to lead an initial client engagement focused on products at the intersection of hardware and software. This role starts at 10 hours per week with one client, allowing for deep involvement and meaningful ownership from day one. As the relationship grows and the client portfolio expands, the scope can increase into a broader fractional remit or evolve into a full-time leadership role within ProfoundIQ. This role is designed for a senior technical leader who is comfortable operating across embedded systems, IoT connectivity, cloud infrastructure, and full-stack software. The right candidate can think strategically with founders while also getting hands-on when architecture, debugging, or product execution needs a strong technical owner. Startup CTO roles commonly require that blend of technology strategy, team leadership, and business alignment. ## What You'll Work On You will lead projects involving: - Connected devices and IoT products - Embedded firmware and edge systems - Device-to-cloud communication and telemetry - Backend platforms, APIs, dashboards, and internal tools - Product and platform architecture across hardware and software layers Example engagements may include: - Taking a prototype device into production readiness - Designing device provisioning, OTA update, and monitoring systems - Resolving reliability issues across firmware, backend, and user applications - Helping a founder choose the right stack, team structure, and technical roadmap for a hardware-enabled product ## What You'll Do ### Technical Leadership - Define the end-to-end technology strategy across device, firmware, connectivity, cloud, and application layers. - Design architectures that balance embedded constraints such as power, memory, connectivity, and latency with scalability and maintainability in the software stack. - Evaluate and recommend platforms, tools, protocols, vendors, and infrastructure aligned with product and business needs. - Identify technical risks early and drive practical mitigation plans across hardware and software systems. ### Hands-On System Ownership - Review and guide implementation across firmware, backend services, APIs, and product platforms. - Troubleshoot complex issues that span devices, wireless communication, cloud systems, and user-facing software. - Support engineering teams during critical phases of product development and delivery. ## About the Company ProfoundIQ provides on-demand technical leadership for startups and growth-stage businesses building complex products across hardware and software. The firm works closely with founders to shape product strategy, define scalable architecture, improve engineering execution, and help teams ship with confidence. Unlike traditional advisors, ProfoundIQ takes an embedded approach to technical leadership. Engagements span early product validation, architecture design, engineering team formation, delivery execution, and technical decision-making across connected devices, cloud platforms, and software applications.