Head of Engineering - London | £100,000 Early-Stage Startup | Safety-Critical Systems Want to become a CTO? Here's your chance in a business creating safety in the rise of AI-powered autonomous systems. The Opportunity I’m working with a mission-led startup in central London that's developing groundbreaking software to make AI and autonomous systems safe, predictable, and trusted - starting in the aerospace and defence domains. They’ve already built a strong technical foundation, won key partnerships, and are now hiring a Head of Engineering to take things to the next level - someone who can guide systems architecture, lead high-stakes delivery, and build an elite engineering culture from the ground up; very quickly to become the CTO. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who still loves the tech, thrives in complex systems environments, and wants to be part of something that genuinely matters. What You’ll Be Doing You’ll report directly to the Founder and take full responsibility for shaping and scaling the engineering function. You’ll be responsible for everything from technical direction and team structure to delivery quality and certification readiness. Expect to: Lead and grow a multi-disciplinary engineering team across software, systems, and assurance Own the engineering roadmap, aligning R&D, compliance, and product delivery Embed robust safety-critical and V&V processes aligned to aerospace/defence standards Drive technical architecture, engineering culture, and continuous improvement Integrate R&D outcomes into production-ready, certifiable products This is a foundational role in a company with serious ambitions - ideal for someone who wants both leadership and hands-on technical challenge. What You’ll Need Proven experience leading engineering teams in a complex systems environment Background in safety-critical / mission-critical software (C/C++ to DO178/MISRA standard or similar is perfect) Strong grasp of systems engineering, software architecture, and product development lifecycles Comfortable with regulated environments and compliance frameworks Why Join? Up to £90,000 salary (Potential flex) Build the engineering culture and systems from the ground up Work at the forefront of autonomy, AI assurance, and safety engineering Clear mission and values: trust, safety, and technical excellence Tools and environment designed for impact, not bureaucracy Benefits include: 5% matched pension Bonus schemes Cycle to Work & EV schemes Generous holiday allowance Long-term equity upside as the company scales If you're a senior technical leader who still loves the code, thrives on system-level thinking, and wants to work on tech that truly matters this is your shot.