Director of Engineering

About Pearpop

Pearpop is redefining how brands harness creators to reach and inspire new audiences. As a full-service creative partner, we combine creative strategy, creator curation, and media amplification to deliver content that moves culture and drives results. With best-in-class creative, unmatched creator access, and a data-driven approach, we craft strategic, insight-driven campaigns backed by full-stack technology and performance media. Whether acting as a standalone creator solution or an extension of your team, Pearpop ensures every campaign is seamless, impactful, and culturally relevant.

Working at Pearpop

We're bringing together a smart and passionate team of creative builders to join us as we are a growth-stage, high-performance startup. In addition to competitive salaries, we have all the good stuff – equity, generous health and dental insurance, 401(k) with company match, and unlimited PTO. This is a hybrid role based in our headquarters in Los Angeles; fully-stocked with snacks, beverages, cold brew, and everything else you might need!

Position Overview

Pearpop is seeking a hands-on Director of Engineering to lead a team of four engineers in a player-coach capacity, driving the development of our creator management platform. With experience in high tech or media tech and technical leadership, you will contribute code, mentor a small team, and ensure scalable, AI-driven solutions. Reporting to the CEO, you will focus on technical execution and team growth in a fully remote or hybrid Los Angeles role. This is a key position to support Pearpop’s mission of delivering seamless, impactful solutions in the creator economy.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership:

  • Contribute hands-on code (~50% of time) to build and enhance Pearpop’s platform, focusing on back-end systems, AI-driven features, and scalable infrastructure.

  • Design and implement robust architecture using Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services like Google Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, Cloud SQL, and Compute Engine.

  • Drive the integration of AI and machine learning technologies (e.g., recommendation algorithms, data analytics) to optimize campaign performance and user experience.

• Team Management:

  • Mentor and manage a team of four engineers and across front-end, back-end, and AI disciplines, fostering a collaborative and innovative culture.

  • Set technical goals, provide feedback, and guide career development to build a high-performing team.

  • Coordinate project delivery, ensuring alignment with Pearpop’s product roadmap and tight deadlines.

• Team Growth and Scaling:

  • Lead recruitment and onboarding of a few additional engineers in the coming months, scaling the team to support Pearpop’s rapid growth while maintaining a high-performance culture.

• Process Optimization:

  • Implement agile development processes and CI/CD pipelines to streamline workflows and maintain high-quality standards.

  • Optimize GCP-based infrastructure for optimal performance, scalability, and cost efficiency in high-traffic environments.

  • Collaborate with Product, Design, and Data teams to align engineering efforts with business objectives.

• Stakeholder Collaboration:

  • Partner with the CEO to execute technical roadmaps that support Pearpop’s growth and creator-brand partnerships.

  • Engage with internal stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions, ensuring platform reliability and innovation.

• Team Growth:

  • Support recruitment and onboarding of engineering talent to expand the team as Pearpop scales.

  • Foster a world-class engineering culture that aligns with Pearpop’s fast-paced, creative startup environment.

Required Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of professional experience in high tech or media tech, with a focus on scalable software development.

• 2+ years of technical leadership experience (e.g., tech lead, engineering manager), managing small to mid-size teams (2-10) or leading complex projects.

• Hands-on experience with back-end development (e.g., Node.js, Python) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services, including Google Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, Cloud SQL, and Compute Engine.

• Familiarity with AI or machine learning technologies, such as recommendation systems or data analytics, to enhance platform functionality.

• Proven ability to contribute code and guide technical architect