About the role
Who We Are Serval is an AI-native automation platform transforming how enterprises operate. We build intelligent agents that understand real-world workflows and execute them end-to-end — replacing manual processes and rigid legacy systems with adaptive, learning software. Founded in early 2024, Serval is already trusted by companies like Fox, Notion, Perplexity, Vercel, and Brex to automate high-volume, high-friction operational work across their organizations. At the core of Serval is an agentic AI platform that turns natural language into production-grade workflows. Our agents don’t just respond to requests — they reason, take action across systems, and continuously improve with usage. What began with operational use cases has quickly evolved into a horizontal AI automation layer used across IT, HR, Finance, Security, Legal, and Engineering. Our mission is to eliminate repetitive, manual work across the enterprise and give teams leverage through intelligent automation. Long term, we’re building the universal AI operations layer — a system of agents that sits across business functions and runs the workflows that keep modern companies moving. We’re backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Meritech, First Round, General Catalyst, Elad Gil, and others, and founded by product and engineering leaders from Verkada. Role Overview As Head of Engineering at Serval, you’ll lead the engineering organization and help shape the technical direction of our platform. You will be responsible for building and scaling a high-performing team, delivering a reliable and secure product, and partnering closely with the founding team to turn our roadmap into reality.
What You'll Do This is a senior leadership role with significant ownership. You will partner closely with our CTO and product leadership to define Serval’s engineering strategy, architecture direction, and execution plan. Lead, hire, and develop an exceptional engineering team. Create the structure, processes, and culture needed to scale. Own delivery of the engineering roadmap, ensuring projects ship on time with high quality and clear accountability. Set and uphold engineering best practices across code quality, testing, reliability, security, and incident response. Build strong cross-functional operating rhythms with Product, Design, and Go-To-Market teams to ensure excellent execution and a great user experience. Establish metrics and systems for engineering effectiveness (planning, estimation, on-call, retrospectives, technical debt management). Drive continuous improvement of our platform’s performance, scalability, and maintainability as usage grows. What You'll Need 8+ years of software engineering experience, including experience leading teams as an engineering manager, tech lead, or engineering leader. Proven ability to build and scale engineering teams in a fast-moving environment. Strong technical foundation and architectural judgment, with hands-on experience shipping and operating production systems. Experience partnering cross-functionally and translating product goals into clear technical plans and execution. High standards for engineering excellence, including reliability, security, and developer velocity. Exceptional communication skills and a track record of leading through ambiguity. Degree in Computer Science or a related engineering field (or equivalent practical experience).