Cygrid GmbH

Head of Engineering (m/f/d) — Own delivery and grow the team | Berlin

Berlin, Germany full-time Mid Salary not listed
full-time Mid level Technology & IT Curated
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About the role

Berlin • Cybersecurity & AI Startup • Recently Funded
A newly funded cybersecurity startup in Berlin is looking for a Head of Engineering to join as a team member and help design the core security, identity, and enforcement foundations of a next-generation AI-powered security risk management platform.
We are an early-stage startup founded by experienced cybersecurity leaders with backgrounds in Israeli Intelligence units. We are looking for a hands-on Head of Engineering. If you are passionate about cybersecurity and AI tech, thrive in fast-paced startup environments, and enjoy building complex platforms from the ground up, this is an opportunity to make a real impact.
We’re building a next-generation cyber enforcement platform that helps enterprises understand, measure, and reduce identity risk at scale. Our goal is to turn complex identity and security data into clear, actionable risk insights that CISOs and CTOs can trust. You will work from scratch on core platform components from day one, shaping how modern enterprises manage and reason about risk using cloud-native systems and AI-driven analysis and automated enforcement through AI Agents.

Key Responsibilities
Own delivery. You decide what ships and when, and the roadmap moves at the speed you set

Own architecture. Design the systems, make the build-vs-buy calls, set the standards everyone builds against

Build the engineering culture from the ground up. Planning, code review, on-call, incident response. Whatever process exists is the process you wrote

Grow the five engineers you inherit into the team that scales with us

Hire as we grow, and own the bar

Shape what we build next, alongside product and the founders

Ship fast while we’re SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified. Security engineering isn’t a side quest here, it’s the product

Must have
10+ years of professional software engineering experience

3+ years of experience leading engineering teams directly

3+ years of GoLang experience

3+ years experience with AWS in production environments

Hands-on mentality can design deep security architecture yourself

Has hired and scaled a team from under 10 to 20+, or clear evidence you can

Ability to context-switch between technical topics and people leadership

Knowledge of Experience supporting production SaaS platforms

Cloud infrastructure and Kubernetes experience on AWS

Working with at one of those Postgres, AWS Bedrock, Neo4J, Data bricks, Snowflake

Has worked at an early-stage company, or clear evidence of operating without process in place

Based in Berlin or willing to relocate

Business English

Strong execution mindset and comfort operating under ambiguity

Comfortable working directly with founders and senior stakeholders

Ability to build things from scratch at early stage startup

High ownership mentality, startup mindset, and ability to move quickly.

Experience in early stage startup or scale-up environments

Low ego, high commitment, and a true tech startup mentality.

Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in a collaborative environment.

Nice to have
Cybersecurity, identity, IAM or infrastructure products

Experience with SOC 2 or ISO 27001 in an engineering org

ML or AI systems in production

German Language

You are a fan of rock or metal music

Benefits
Team Member Equity — ESOPs in a cybersecurity company.

Competitive Compensation — salary aligned with market, flexible early-stage arrangements possible.

Fresh Funding Secured — immediate runway to build, hire, and execute fast.

Security Contribution — contribute to security architecture across identity, AI agents, and enforcement.

High Autonomy — freedom to design and build without corporate overhead.

Work with a Technical CEO — fast iteration, strong alignment, clear direction.

Cutting-Edge Domain — identity security, SaaS-to-SaaS access, AI agent governance.

Massive Learning Curve — quickly gain depth in cybersecurity, identity, and AI systems.

Fast Career Path — opportunity evolve into leadership as we scale the engineering team

Berlin Location — top-tier tech environment with strong cybersecurity and AI ecosystems.

Direct Impact — your architecture and code become the foundation of the entire platform.

Best Equipment and Tools - High quality equipment and modern tools to help you do your best work from day one.

Team Offsites - Regular team offsites designed to build strong connections, alignment, and shared momentum.

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Mid
Technology & IT Head Engineering Own Delivery Grow Mid level

Likely questions

  1. Tell us about work you have done that is close to the Head of Engineering (m/f/d) — Own delivery and grow the team | Berlin role.
  2. How would you approach your first 30 days at Cygrid GmbH?
  3. Which of Head, Engineering and Own have you used recently, and what did it help you achieve?
  4. Describe a time you solved a problem without waiting to be told exactly what to do.
  5. How do you handle busy days, changing priorities, or pressure at work?

Prepare before the call

  • A recent example that proves your experience with Head, Engineering and Own.
  • One short story with a problem, your action, and the result.
  • Two examples that show the strengths listed on your CV.
  • A clear reason why this role and company interest you.
  • Your availability, preferred work style, and salary expectations.

Ask them

  • What would success look like in the first 90 days?
  • What are the main problems this hire should help solve?
  • How does the team give feedback and measure good work?
  • What does a normal working week look like for this role?
Practice line

I am interested in the Head of Engineering (m/f/d) — Own delivery and grow the team | Berlin role because I can bring practical experience in Head, Engineering and Own, learn the team quickly, and contribute to the outcomes Cygrid GmbH needs from this hire.

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