Paperless Parts is the SaaS-based intelligence layer for modern manufacturing, enabling our customers to innovate faster in the physical world. From rockets to medical devices, we power the parts that move the world forward.
Location: Boston, MA (Hybrid) Reports To: Chief Technology Officer Employment Type: Full-Time Travel: 5–10%
This position requires activities that are subject to US Export Control Laws and require US Citizenship or Green Card Holder.
The Opportunity
Four years ago Paperless Parts was a startup. Today it's a scale-up with an engineering team that ships reliably, a platform that's changing how manufacturers quote and run their business, and a customer base that keeps growing. The next chapter is new product lines and faster growth, and we need a VP of Engineering to lead that shift. You'll report to the CTO and run a 25+ person organization through two Directors of Engineering, working as a peer to the VP of Product and Chief Scientist. The job is two jobs at once: keep the core platform stable and improving for customers who depend on it daily, while standing up new products in a market where AI is changing what's possible to build and how fast you can build it. Whoever takes this on has to be good at both, and has to make the team better at both.
What Success Looks Like (First 6–12 Months)
The next product line is in market, with real customers live on it and generating revenue, on a platform built to scale; proof Paperless Parts can build a second product the market wants, not just defend the first one.
The team has moved from using AI inside the SDLC to running an AI-native SDLC, one built on a first-class engineering culture, with people still at the center of how software gets made.
Successful delivery means customer value landed, not tickets closed; Engineering and Product move as one team toward customer-facing measure of success.
Key Responsibilities
Engineering Operations: Own engineering delivery, quality, and predictability, establishing an operational rhythm the broader company depends on.
Technical Direction: Own the architecture and platform decisions that set our foundation for the next stage. New products mean new architecture, and the choices made now set the tone for how we build for years to come.
Product Partnership: Partner with the VP of Product on a roadmap that delivers real value to customers, sharing ownership of sequencing, trade-offs, and the commitments we make. Engineering brings feasibility, cost, and options to the table early, not after the plan is set.
Manufacturing Intelligence: Partner with the Chief Scientist on the development and execution of our manufacturing intelligence strategy, bringing new AI-driven capability to market.
AI Leverage: We have adopted AI across the engineering organization. Lead the next step: maximize its leverage to shape how we work for the future, while holding the line on quality.
Platform Efficiency: Keep the core platform cheaper to run, faster to change, and more reliable as customer volume grows.
Leadership and Team Growth: Coach Directors and Engineering Managers, establish clear career paths that develop and retain strong engineers, and direct the hiring plan and selection standard so the team grows without compromising technical or cultural quality.
Executive Leadership: Represent engineering status, capacity, risks, and strategic tradeoffs clearly to the executive leadership team.
Qualifications & Experience
Core Requirements
Scale Experience: Demonstrated track record of leading multi-team B2B SaaS engineering organizations through growth phases while continuously improving delivery quality and predictability.
Management Depth: Proven success managing through Directors and Engineering Managers, with evidence of developing frontline leaders.
Modern SaaS Architecture: Deep technical background in cloud-native platforms, with a track record of architectural decisions that scale under increasing customer load.
AI in Practice: Experience…