Director, Customer Engineering ( AI Startup)

Location: Santa Clara, CA (HQ) 3 days per week Eightfold was founded with a vision to solve for employment in our society. For decades, the connection between individuals and opportunities has been based on who they are and their network's strength vs. their potential. Eightfold leverages artificial intelligence to transform how to think about skills and capabilities for individuals and how jobs and career decisions are made. Eightfold offers the industry’s first AI-powered Talent Intelligence Platform to transform how organizations plan, hire, develop and retain a diverse workforce, enabling individuals to transform their careers. About the Role We are looking for a Director to lead and scale a high-impact global team responsible for delivering value to some of Eightfold’s most strategic enterprise customers. This is a leadership role at the intersection of technology, customer success, and business transformation. You will define and drive the strategy for customer engineering, solution delivery, elevate execution standards, and build a world-class team of customer engineers. Beyond execution, you will serve as a thought partner to customers and internal leadership, influencing product direction, shaping deployment best practices, and ensuring Eightfold delivers measurable business outcomes at scale. What You’ll Own Strategic Leadership & Org Building Define the vision, operating model, and growth strategy for the Customer Engineering , Product Solutions and Support functions. Build, scale, and lead a high-performing global team; drive hiring, capability building, and leadership development. Establish a culture of ownership, technical excellence, and customer obsession. Customer Impact & Delivery Excellence Own end-to-end delivery outcomes for large enterprise accounts, including implementations, expansions, and ongoing optimization. Partner with senior customer stakeholders as a trusted advisor , driving adoption and long-term value realization. Lead executive-level escalations and ensure strong governance across complex deployments. Solutioning & Technical Excellence Set the bar for solution architecture, integration strategy, and technical design across ATS, HRIS, and ecosystem platforms. Guide teams on complex implementations involving APIs, data models, and enterprise-scale integrations. Drive standardization through reusable frameworks, accelerators, and best practices. Cross-Functional Influence Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Customer Growth, and Sales to align on roadmap, customer needs, and delivery priorities. Act as the voice of the customer, influencing product innovation and go-to-market strategy. Contribute to global initiatives, including AI-driven frameworks and solution evolution. Operational Rigor & Scale Establish metrics-driven execution: delivery health, customer satisfaction, adoption, and team productivity. Drive capacity planning, forecasting, and resource optimization across regions. Continuously improve delivery processes to enable scalability and predictability. What We’re Looking For 10–15+ years of experience in enterprise SaaS, product implementation, solution architecture, or technical consulting. 5+ years in leadership roles, managing and scaling high-performing teams. Proven track record of delivering complex, global enterprise implementations with measurable customer impact. A Player-Coach mindset with strong technical depth in APIs, integrations, data systems (SQL, JSON, XML), and scripting (Python or equivalent). Experience working with HR Tech ecosystems (ATS, HRIS, Talent platforms) is highly preferred. Exceptional stakeholder management and executive presence, with the ability to influence at C-level. Demonstrated ability to operate in high-growth, ambiguous environments and drive structured outcomes. Background in top-tier consulting firms or enterprise transformation programs is a strong plus. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field. Why This Role Opportunity to shape how AI transforms talent at a global scale. Direct exposure to enterprise customers and executive leadership. Build and lead a category-defining customer engineering organization. Play a key role in scaling Eightfold’s next phase of growth. Pay Transparency Please note this role is categorized as hybrid in Santa Clara, CA Base pay is only one piece of our total compensation package as this role may be eligible for bonus and equity awards. Compensation varies depending on several factors including qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and zones. This role is based in Santa Clara, CA (Zone A) Zone A Base annual base salary range in USD: $177,525 to $236,700 + discretionary annual bonus up to `20% + preIPO equity (stock options). Hybrid Work @ Eightfold: We embrace a hybrid work model that aims to boost collaboration, enhance our culture, and drive innovation through a blend of remote and in-person work. We are committed to creating a dynamic and flexible work environment that nurtures the collaborative spirit of our team. Employees residing near Santa Clara, CA are mandated to work in the office 3 days per week. Eightfold.ai provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran or disability status. #LI-Hybrid