Job description
TL;DR
Fast-growing measurement company looking to fill a newly created VP of Engineering role. This person will own software and infrastructure development for all products and services that enable the AU and support our clients. We have an engineering team of 10 that is fully remote and spans across media measurement, web application production and support, data pipelines, ML model application, and cloud ops. Our engineering is vital and a key component that links data science, product, client services and sales all together.
Who we are
Adelaide is the leader in one of the fastest-growing areas of advertising: attention measurement and activation.
Since 2020, we've become the trusted media quality measurement partner for 40% of Fortune 50 brands who rely on our award-winning AU metric to plan smarter campaigns, invest in high-quality inventory, and dive stronger business outcomes. Adweek has called Adelaide's AU "the attention economy's most widely recognized metric," and AdExchanger named it "Best measurement/Analytics Capability."
Our business continues to scale rapidly, outperforming the industry with a 35% three-year CAGR. What began as a 9-person startup in 2019 is now a team of more than 75.
The past year brought meaningful expansion. We launched the AU ecosystem, giving brands, media agencies, and publishers a unified way to leverage and transact on AU. We broadened our programmatic footprint with custom bidding in GoogleDV360 and pre-bid targeting in The Trade Desk, and grew our partner roster to over 125 platforms and publishers. Leading brands like Dell, Diageo, an Jaguar Land Rover—along with premium publishers such as Hearst, Spotify, and The New York Times—continue to demonstrate AU's value across the media lifecycle.
Adelaide is backed by prominent investors such as Human Ventures (Joe Marchese), Aperiam Ventures (Joe Zawadzki & Eric Franchi), WGI (Jonah Goodhart), and Irwin Gotlieb.
We have a NYC office and a London WeWork, but operates as a remote-friendly company with flexible work options.
How we work
We're a team of action-oriented doers—management rolls up their sleeves and contributes every day. Our culture is rooted in curiosity and rigor: opinions are held lightly, debated openly, and strengthened through testing. Everyone is encouraged to play a role in shaping planning and strategy.
We're built on belonging and growth—94% of employees report a strong sense of belonging, and 81% say they’re happy at work.
Position overview
This position reports to the CEO and is responsible for leading Adelaide's engineering function—setting technical direction, scaling the infrastructure and platforms behind AU, and building the team that ships it.
In this role, you'll own the engineering strategy and day-to-day delivery while partnering closely with Product, Data Science, and the executive team to translate company goals into shipped systems. You'll be equally comfortable operating at the architecture level and in the details—Adelaide rewards leaders who can take an idea from conception to production without hand-offs getting in the way.
Day-to-day activities range from setting engineering strategy alongside the executive team, owning the roadmap and delivery cadence, architecting data and application infrastructure, managing and mentoring engineering managers, recruiting senior talent, and ensuring the systems behind AU meet the reliability and quality standards our clients expect.
We're seeking a candidate with 10+ years of progressive engineering experience, including multiple years leading teams in high-growth environments. We're looking for someone who can operate as an end-to-end owner—setting the plan, shipping the work, and recruiting the people who will do the same.
This is a fully remote role within the United States, with opportunities to connect with colleagues at our New York office. You'll need to be in NYC a few times per year.
Compensation
Base + Bonus: $300,000+
This role includes a competitive compensation package consisting of base salary, performance-based bonus, and equity. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, level, and location.
What you'll learn
An important part of our culture is continuous learning and the open sharing of ideas. We offer:
Access to a broad network of investors and advisors who can help you and your team succeed
Mentorship from executives with decades of experience in adtech and media
Regular internal knowledge-sharing sessions
An education budget to support ongoing professional growth and development
In this role you'll learn:
The economics and architecture behind attention-based media measurement
How executive teams use technical decisions to drive strategy, growth, and competitive advantage
Best practices for building durable engineering foundations in a scaling startup
How a high-growth adtech company scales its engineering organization and technical infrastructure
Core responsibilities
Engineering Strategy & Leadership
Develop and execute Adelaide's engineering strategy aligned with company objectives
Provide technical insights and strategic recommendations to the executive team
Lead and mentor the engineering function while building a high-ownership, high-performance culture
Act as an end-to-end owner — take technical initiatives from concept to shipped outcome without requiring oversight to move
Architecture & Infrastructure
Own the architecture of Adelaide's data infrastructure, measurement platforms, and application systems
Maintain the fidelity, efficiency, and scalability of the systems behind AU
Ensure infrastructure decisions balance speed, cost, and long-term durability
Roadmap & Delivery
Own the engineering roadmap and delivery cadence in partnership with Product and the executive team
Translate company goals into shipped systems on predictable timelines
Drive prioritization tradeoffs and resourcing decisions across engineering teams
Team Building & Talent
Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-performing engineering team — including other end-to-end owners who will drive initiatives independently
Develop engineering managers and senior ICs, and create clear paths for growth
Build a culture of ownership, craft, and accountability across the function
Operational Excellence
Maintain Adelaide codebases and software to a high standard of quality, security, and reliability
Own production system health, on-call posture, and incident response
Establish engineering practices that scale — review, testing, deployment, and observability
Cross-functional Partnership
Partner with Product, Data Science, Research, and Customer Success to ship features that drive AU adoption and renewal
Serve as a key technical voice with the executive team and, where relevant, the Board of Directors
Represent engineering to customers, partners, and the market when needed
What you'll bring
10+ years of progressive engineering experience, including leadership of engineering teams
Proven ability to take initiatives from architecture through to production—an operator who owns outcomes, not just areas
Experience architecting and operating scalable systems, services, and data infrastructure
Strong written and verbal communication skills—able to operate with the executive team and represent engineering to the business
Proven track record of recruiting and retaining senior engineering talent
High level of integrity, accountability, and ownership
Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities
Bachelor’s degree required; Masters or PhD preferred.
What will set you apart
Experience building or scaling engineering operations in a startup or growth-stage company
Digital media, adtech, or measurement industry experience
Big data infrastructure experience — warehousing, pipelines, and streaming at scale
Looker or other BI tool experience (Tableau, et al.)
Prior experience working closely with founders or executive teams on technical strategy
Track record of building teams of end-to-end owners, not just individual contributors
Benefits
Health & Wellness
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Paid time off
Parental leave
Employee development & wellness stipend
Holiday break
Volunteer time off
Financial & Compensation
Competitive salary
Performance-based quarterly bonus
Stock options
401(k) retirement plan
Workplace & Equipment
Remote-first environment
New York office access
Access to available WeWork spaces
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement
Adelaide is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
Our commitment to equal opportunity employment extends beyond basic compliance to encompass the active cultivation of a workplace that values different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.
Originally posted on Himalayas
Who can apply
Eligible countries: United States. Accepted UTC offsets: UTC-10, UTC-9, UTC-8, UTC-7, UTC-6, UTC-5, UTC+14. Review the full description for employer-specific work authorization, residency and schedule requirements.