Head Of Engineering Jobs in California
Head Of Engineering jobs in California represent one of the most active and competitive markets in the country, concentrated in technology, semiconductors, defense, and clean energy across a seniority range from principal engineer stepping into leadership through seasoned VP-level executives. The largest hiring metros are San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and Northrop Grumman maintain deep engineering organizations and consistently recruit at this level. The most in-demand specialties are hardware systems, software platform engineering, and AI infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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About us
iota Biosciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas Pharma US, is advancing a new class of bioelectronic medicines through the development of fully implantable Class III medical devices. Our proprietary technologies open therapeutic and diagnostic possibilities not previously accessible to clinicians. Together with Astellas, we are committed to patient-centric design, scientific and engineering excellence, and cross-functional teamwork. These principles guide us in bringing transformative, first-of-its-kind technologies into the clinic and closer to patients.
Role Overview
The Head of Engineering reports directly to the CEO and serves as the company's senior engineering leader and strategic advisor. This role is responsible for ensuring that engineering, manufacturing, and product development efforts are aligned with the company's clinical, regulatory, and commercialization objectives. The Head of Engineering will partner closely with the CEO and executive team to guide major company decisions, assess risks and dependencies, and help the organization navigate the transition from clinical-stage development through PMA and early commercialization. The successful candidate will inherit a strong engineering leadership team and will be expected to elevate organizational effectiveness, strengthen cross-functional execution, and provide experienced leadership through a critical stage of growth. Success in this role will come not from direct ownership of technical architecture, but from enabling strong decision-making across the organization, connecting work across engineering functions, and helping leaders anticipate challenges before they become obstacles. This individual should bring firsthand experience developing and bringing medical devices through PMA pathways, allowing them to provide perspective, identify risks and opportunities, and help the company make informed strategic and long-term investments.
Executive Leadership and Strategic Partnership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and Executive Team, helping translate complex engineering and product development topics into actionable business decisions.
- Provide independent judgment on major company decisions, investments, risks, resource allocation, and strategic priorities.
- Represent engineering perspectives in executive, investor, partner, and board-level discussions as appropriate.
- Help the organization make sound tradeoffs between technical risk, regulatory requirements, timelines, cost, manufacturing readiness, and long-term platform strategy.
- Partner with executive leadership to shape product portfolio strategy and roadmap planning, ensuring alignment between near-term milestones and long-term company objectives.
Engineering Leadership
- Lead and further develop iota's engineering leadership team across electrical, firmware, software, systems, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and leadership support to an already strong group of engineering leaders, helping elevate organizational effectiveness and execution.
- Ensure alignment across engineering functions by identifying dependencies, surfacing risks early, and facilitating effective decision-making.
- Establish clear expectations, accountability, communication, and decision-making frameworks across the engineering organization.
- Partner with engineering leaders to ensure teams remain focused on company priorities while preserving clear ownership of architecture and day-to-day technical decisions within each function.
- Build strong, trusted relationships with engineering leaders and key cross-functional stakeholders.
Product Development, Regulatory, and Commercialization Execution
- Guide engineering activities supporting pivotal clinical studies, PMA submission, approval, and commercialization readiness.
- Leverage prior PMA experience to help the organization anticipate challenges, evaluate tradeoffs, and make informed decisions throughout the product lifecycle.
- Ensure appropriate engineering rigor, design controls, risk management, verification, validation, and development processes are in place.
- Partner closely with Quality, Regulatory, Clinical, Operations, Manufacturing, and Program/Product Management leaders to drive successful execution.
- Support commercialization planning and manufacturing scale-up activities while maintaining product quality and regulatory compliance.
Organizational Development
- Mentor and develop engineering leaders and high-potential talent.
- Build organizational capabilities that scale with company growth.
- Create succession plans and leadership development pathways within the engineering organization.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Required Qualifications
- BS in Engineering or related technical field.
- Willingness to work from our Alameda office approximately three days per week.
- Significant experience developing and bringing medical devices through PMA pathways, with the ability to apply those lessons to strategic planning, risk management, and organizational decision-making.
- Proven success leading multidisciplinary engineering organizations in regulated medical device environments.
- Demonstrated ability to develop strong engineering leaders.
- Strong communication, stakeholder management, and organizational leadership skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and influence across technical and non-technical teams.
- Experience balancing innovation with regulatory, quality, clinical, and business requirements.
- Ability to understand and connect work across multiple engineering disciplines, identify dependencies and risks, and drive alignment across teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Global regulatory experience, including CE Mark and MDR.
- Experience operating in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments where leaders are expected to navigate ambiguity, solve novel problems, and take ownership beyond traditional functional boundaries.
Why Join Us
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of bioelectronic medicine at a pivotal moment in the company's journey. You will partner directly with the CEO and executive team, guide critical organizational and strategic decisions, help prepare the company for its next phase of growth, and contribute to the development of therapies that have the potential to transform patients' lives. At iota, you'll join a mission-driven team tackling some of the most challenging problems in medicine through a unique combination of scientific innovation, engineering excellence, and patient-centered design.
Compensation Range: $230K - $311K
About us
iota Biosciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas Pharma US, is advancing a new class of bioelectronic medicines through the development of fully implantable Class III medical devices. Our proprietary technologies open therapeutic and diagnostic possibilities not previously accessible to clinicians. Together with Astellas, we are committed to patient-centric design, scientific and engineering excellence, and cross-functional teamwork. These principles guide us in bringing transformative, first-of-its-kind technologies into the clinic and closer to patients.
Role Overview
The Head of Engineering reports directly to the CEO and serves as the company's senior engineering leader and strategic advisor. This role is responsible for ensuring that engineering, manufacturing, and product development efforts are aligned with the company's clinical, regulatory, and commercialization objectives. The Head of Engineering will partner closely with the CEO and executive team to guide major company decisions, assess risks and dependencies, and help the organization navigate the transition from clinical-stage development through PMA and early commercialization. The successful candidate will inherit a strong engineering leadership team and will be expected to elevate organizational effectiveness, strengthen cross-functional execution, and provide experienced leadership through a critical stage of growth. Success in this role will come not from direct ownership of technical architecture, but from enabling strong decision-making across the organization, connecting work across engineering functions, and helping leaders anticipate challenges before they become obstacles. This individual should bring firsthand experience developing and bringing medical devices through PMA pathways, allowing them to provide perspective, identify risks and opportunities, and help the company make informed strategic and long-term investments.
Executive Leadership and Strategic Partnership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and Executive Team, helping translate complex engineering and product development topics into actionable business decisions.
- Provide independent judgment on major company decisions, investments, risks, resource allocation, and strategic priorities.
- Represent engineering perspectives in executive, investor, partner, and board-level discussions as appropriate.
- Help the organization make sound tradeoffs between technical risk, regulatory requirements, timelines, cost, manufacturing readiness, and long-term platform strategy.
- Partner with executive leadership to shape product portfolio strategy and roadmap planning, ensuring alignment between near-term milestones and long-term company objectives.
Engineering Leadership
- Lead and further develop iota's engineering leadership team across electrical, firmware, software, systems, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and leadership support to an already strong group of engineering leaders, helping elevate organizational effectiveness and execution.
- Ensure alignment across engineering functions by identifying dependencies, surfacing risks early, and facilitating effective decision-making.
- Establish clear expectations, accountability, communication, and decision-making frameworks across the engineering organization.
- Partner with engineering leaders to ensure teams remain focused on company priorities while preserving clear ownership of architecture and day-to-day technical decisions within each function.
- Build strong, trusted relationships with engineering leaders and key cross-functional stakeholders.
Product Development, Regulatory, and Commercialization Execution
- Guide engineering activities supporting pivotal clinical studies, PMA submission, approval, and commercialization readiness.
- Leverage prior PMA experience to help the organization anticipate challenges, evaluate tradeoffs, and make informed decisions throughout the product lifecycle.
- Ensure appropriate engineering rigor, design controls, risk management, verification, validation, and development processes are in place.
- Partner closely with Quality, Regulatory, Clinical, Operations, Manufacturing, and Program/Product Management leaders to drive successful execution.
- Support commercialization planning and manufacturing scale-up activities while maintaining product quality and regulatory compliance.
Organizational Development
- Mentor and develop engineering leaders and high-potential talent.
- Build organizational capabilities that scale with company growth.
- Create succession plans and leadership development pathways within the engineering organization.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Required Qualifications
- BS in Engineering or related technical field.
- Willingness to work from our Alameda office approximately three days per week.
- Significant experience developing and bringing medical devices through PMA pathways, with the ability to apply those lessons to strategic planning, risk management, and organizational decision-making.
- Proven success leading multidisciplinary engineering organizations in regulated medical device environments.
- Demonstrated ability to develop strong engineering leaders.
- Strong communication, stakeholder management, and organizational leadership skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and influence across technical and non-technical teams.
- Experience balancing innovation with regulatory, quality, clinical, and business requirements.
- Ability to understand and connect work across multiple engineering disciplines, identify dependencies and risks, and drive alignment across teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Global regulatory experience, including CE Mark and MDR.
- Experience operating in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments where leaders are expected to navigate ambiguity, solve novel problems, and take ownership beyond traditional functional boundaries.
Why Join Us
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of bioelectronic medicine at a pivotal moment in the company's journey. You will partner directly with the CEO and executive team, guide critical organizational and strategic decisions, help prepare the company for its next phase of growth, and contribute to the development of therapies that have the potential to transform patients' lives. At iota, you'll join a mission-driven team tackling some of the most challenging problems in medicine through a unique combination of scientific innovation, engineering excellence, and patient-centered design.
Compensation Range: $230K - $311K
See All 47 Head Of Engineering Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Head Of Engineering JobsHead Of Engineering Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Head Of Engineering Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- BlackRock4
- Etched3
- Apple2
- Genentech2
- Postman2
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software23
- Banking & Financial Services6
- Electronics & Hardware6
- Investment & Asset Management4
- Consulting & Professional Services3
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in head of engineering jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, computer science, or a closely related discipline
- Proven experience leading and scaling multi-team engineering organizations in a California-based tech or defense environment
- Deep expertise in at least one core California industry vertical such as semiconductors, aerospace, or enterprise software
- Demonstrated ability to own technical roadmap and align engineering execution with business objectives
- Experience recruiting and developing senior engineers and managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships
- Familiarity with California labor law requirements including pay transparency and classification compliance for engineering staff
Head Of Engineering Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a head of engineering in California?
Most heads of engineering in California reach the role by progressing from individual contributor engineer to engineering manager and then director before stepping into an org-wide leadership seat. A bachelor's degree in engineering or computer science is the standard baseline, and many California employers at larger technology or defense firms prefer a master's degree. No state-issued license is required for the role itself, though engineers who also practice as licensed professional engineers in California do so through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.
How much do head of engineerings make in California?
Head of engineerings in California earn a median of about $210,280 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $137,900 for the lowest 10% to over $296,130 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire head of engineerings in California?
Employers hiring head of engineerings in California right now include BlackRock, Etched, and Apple, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of semiconductor, defense, and enterprise software companies means demand for this role is broadly distributed from the Bay Area down through Los Angeles and San Diego.
Which California cities have the most head of engineering jobs?
San Francisco, San Jose, and Palo Alto account for the largest share of head of engineering openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its dense concentration of technology headquarters and venture-backed companies, while Los Angeles hiring is driven by aerospace, defense, and entertainment technology firms, and San Diego's openings are anchored by telecommunications, biotech, and defense contractors like Qualcomm and Northrop Grumman.
Are there remote head of engineering jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most comparable leadership roles, because heads of engineering at software and platform companies can operate effectively across distributed teams. About 34% of head of engineering openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how many California technology employers have formalized flexible work policies. The most fully remote roles tend to sit at software-first or cloud infrastructure companies rather than hardware, semiconductor, or defense organizations where on-site presence is required.
How can I get hired as a head of engineering in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is securing a senior software or systems engineering role at a mid-size California technology company and taking on informal team-lead or tech-lead responsibilities before pursuing a formal manager title. Large California employers like Salesforce, Intel, and Broadcom run internal engineering leadership development programs and regularly promote from senior individual contributor roles. Adjacent roles such as engineering program manager, principal engineer, or director of technical program management frequently serve as lateral moves into an engineering leadership seat, and a strong technical portfolio or open-source project history gives candidates without a formal management title a measurable edge.
Where can I find and apply to head of engineering jobs in California?
You can find and apply to head of engineering jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across technology, defense, clean energy, and other sectors. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 47 Head Of Engineering Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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