VP of Software

Overview

At Fellow, we’re on a mission to help people brew ridiculously good coffee at home. We’re a brand built on innovation, community, and culture. We believe great coffee isn’t just about the final cup; it’s about the experience, the ritual, and the people who make it all happen.

Role

VP of Software to own the entire software ecosystem—spanning Embedded Firmware, Control Systems, Mobile Apps, and Cloud Backend. Your mission is to build the "machine that builds the machine." We are looking for a systems thinker obsessed with operational leverage—someone who ensures that as our product line expands from kettles and grinders to complex brewing ecosystems, our engineering velocity accelerates and system reliability improves at scale.

This role is based in our San Francisco, CA office and requires regular in-office presence in accordance with company policy.

Who You Are

You’re an experienced engineering leader who has built and led multidisciplinary teams across software, hardware, product, and design. You know how to align functions around a shared roadmap, make clear tradeoffs, and create accountability without friction. As products grow more complex, you understand how to structure teams, processes, and architecture to scale. You foster a culture of ownership, close collaboration, and open communication.

You care deeply about how software is built. You’ve implemented automated CI/CD pipelines and strong testing practices that support complex products, reducing manual work and improving reliability. You use metrics to understand delivery performance and team health, pairing data with sound judgment. You’re pragmatic, curious, and motivated to build products that are both technically rigorous and thoughtfully designed. You’re motivated by raising the bar, not maintaining the status quo.

What You’ll Do

• Scale the Engineering Organization: Design the team structure, process, and operating systems that allow us to ship high-quality firmware, mobile, and cloud services with extreme efficiency.
• Set the Technical Direction: Lead the technical roadmap for our embedded systems, control logic, mobile interfaces, and cloud services. You’ll ensure the "brain" of our hardware is as elegant as its exterior.
• Raise the Bar on Engineering Quality: Establish best practices for CI/CD, automated testing, code review, and release management—especially for complex hardware-software integrations where reliability is critical.
• Consolidate & Modularize: Drive the evolution of our codebase architecture. You will lead the effort to consolidate repositories into a modular, reusable architecture that speeds up development for future product launches.
• Lead Cross-Functional Execution: Bridge the gap between technical constraints and user delight, ensuring our digital experiences are as intuitive as a manual pour-over.
• Increase Development Velocity: Identify and remove bottlenecks in the development lifecycle. Invest in tooling, automation, and modern workflows (including AI-assisted development where appropriate) to optimize the engineering “inner loop”—improving cycle time and release confidence.
• Own Delivery & Reliability: Be accountable for predictable execution, system performance, and post-launch stability across our connected products.
• Hire and Develop Exceptional Talent: Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-performing engineering team. Create a culture of ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Strategic Leadership: Work closely with the CEO and hardware teams on major architectural and "build vs. buy" decisions, helping define the long-term future of connected specialty coffee.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in software engineering, with deep hands-on experience in both embedded systems engineering (C/C++, RTOS, Control systems) and software engineering (Cloud-native, Mobile, UX).
• Proven track record of scaling an engineering organization from early stage to high-growth, including building and leading teams across multiple disciplines.
• Demonstrated success delivering connected products where hardware and software are tightly integrated, with ownership across architecture, reliability, and lifecycle management.
• Deep expertise in IoT ecosystems, including OTA updates, fleet management, and sensor fusion.
• Experience establishing modern development practices, including CI/CD, automated testing, release management, and metrics-driven delivery.
• A portfolio of shipped products where software and hardware interact seamlessly.
• Strong technical judgment across modern applications and embedded stacks (React, Node.js, AWS, C/C++), with the ability to evaluate tradeoffs and evolve architectural decisions as the company scales.
• Strong executive communication skills, with experience partnering closely with CEO-level leadership and presenting technical strategy to senior stakeholders or boards.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• A creative, fast-moving environment where ideas turn into action.
• Competitive compensation including employee equity plan
• Generous paid time off plan
• 401k with company contribution after 6 months of employment
• Medical/dental/vision insurance
• Better Yourself Wellness credit & Better Your Community donation matching
• Monthly Fitness Stipend
• Summer Fridays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Generous discount on Fellow products
• Best coffee anywhere

Salary Range: $240k - $280k plus bonus & generous equity package

Our highest goal at Fellow is creating a safe, inclusive, and rewarding environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and thrive. We are committed to building diverse teams and strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

Fellow is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.