VP, Engineering and Data

About Howl

Howl is the creator platform for social commerce. We build tools for brands and creators to sell more products across every social platform, together.

In the last 10 years, the $20bn influencer ecommerce market has become a critical part of the retail industry.  It has evolved into social commerce, a new $1.2 trillion market opportunity (link) requiring new tools, protocols, and technologies.  

Howl enables creators and brands to run experiments on what products to talk about and how best to talk about them. Paired with data delivered at the speed of social, creator financing for products, and feedback loops delivered in a beautifully designed platform, Howl takes the guesswork out of selling products on social platforms.

Howl’s mission is to reduce barriers for creators and brands to build social commerce businesses.  We are a remote-first company with a diverse team that reflects our vision. Our beta launched in mid 2022 and powers social commerce for creators and brands across beauty, gaming, home, fashion, and consumer electronics for both industry leaders like Best Buy, Samsung, Target and cult favorites like Cariuma, Kosas, and Youth to the People. We are a Series A company backed by investors including HighlandX and NEA. 

For more information, visit www.planethowl.com.

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced VP of Engineering and Data to lead and optimize our tech functions. This dual-role position will drive our technical vision, oversee engineering operations, and spearhead our data strategy that aligns with our business objectives.

You’re Excited About This Opportunity Because You Will:

• Oversee Engineering and Engineering leadership 
  • Develop and execute the technology roadmap to align with business goals and market demands.
  • Lead, mentor,and fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
  • Oversee the design, development, and operations of our product architecture and infrastructure.
  • Implement best practices for software development.
  • Manage engineering budgets, resource allocation, and project timelines effectively.
• Lead Data Strategy and Management 
  • Define and implement the data strategy, including data governance, data quality, and analytics to drive informed decision-making and data accessibility. 
  • Own the development of data models, dashboards, and reporting systems to provide actionable insights and support business operations.
• Enhance collaboration rituals for how we build, make decisions and plan
  • Work closely with the rest of the executive team to align engineering and data initiatives with overall product and business strategy.
  • Facilitate communication between engineering, data, product, and other key stakeholders to ensure cohesive and coordinated efforts.
  • Drive innovation by staying abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies, and assessing their potential impact on our business.
• Performance manage and grow your team (with the help of our senior engineering manager)
  • Work closely with the rest of the executive team to align engineering and data initiatives with overall product and business strategy.
  • Facilitate communication between engineering, data, product, and other key stakeholders to ensure cohesive and coordinated efforts.
  • Drive innovation by staying abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies, and assessing their potential impact on our business.

The Experience you’ll bring:

• Proven experience (10+ years) in engineering leadership roles, with a track record of scaling technology teams and delivering high-quality products.
• Experience (5+ years) in building and standing up a data strategy, managing data engineering, and analytics teams 
• A strong understanding of data architecture and management.
• Deep knowledge of modern technology stacks (especially new era of managed services like Vercel, PlanetScale, etc), software development practices, and data technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to hire and manage cross-functional teams and work in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with a strategic mindset and the ability to drive results.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and lead diverse teams.
• Must be US based

The base salary range for this role is $250,000- $300,000

At Howl, we offer a competitive compensation package inclusive of base salary, incentive pay and stock options. Incentive awards are allocated based on individual performance. Certain roles also have the opportunity to earn sales incentives based on revenue, depending on the terms of the plan and the employee’s role.

Howl is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or veteran status.