At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the launch of a mental health platform and build a strong engineering team.
- Company: Join MindFriend, a pioneering mental health marketplace with a mission to connect people with therapists.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, and a chance to shape a meaningful product.
- Other info: Hands-on role with significant ownership and growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Be a founding member and make a real impact in mental health support.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in software development with experience in handling sensitive data.
MindFriend is a mental-health marketplace connecting people with verified, licensed clinicians for online therapy: search, booking, payments, and live video, audio and chat sessions in one place. The platform is built and largely working, with a capable lead developer and a team. We're now bringing in the senior leader who will set the engineering bar, decide when we're ready to launch, and grow both the platform and the team from there with a level of ownership only the earliest team members ever get.
This role carries more weight than most engineering jobs. We handle sensitive health data and host live therapy sessions, so reliability and security aren't features; they are the trust the entire category depends on. The person who gets this right will have real authority to do it properly and will help shape what MindFriend becomes.
A word of honesty: This is a founding-team role at an early-stage company, which means it is hands-on. You will get into the code. You will run the QA passes yourself. You will test a video session on a bad connection at 9pm because a launch depends on it. You will make calls with incomplete information and live with them. You'll lead a small team and a freelance bench but you'll lead by doing, not just directing. If you want a purely strategic seat with people beneath you to execute, this is the wrong role. If you want to own the hardest, most consequential technical problems in the company and see them through, read on.
Requirements
- The launch decision setting the readiness bar, and holding launch until it's met.
- Reliability of live video, audio and chat sessions on a user's old laptop and a clinician's poor wifi, not just a developer's machine.
- Security and privacy of sensitive health data the controls that keep us defensible, and an independent security review before we go live.
- End-to-end quality of the booking-and-payments flow, including the failure paths most teams skip.
- The product direction after launch what we build next, in what order, and why.
- Leading and growing the engineering and product team.
What success looks like
- In your first weeks — to launch: Own and close out the launch readiness bar; get MindFriend live in its first market with confidence, not crossed fingers.
- Pass an independent security review with critical findings remediated before go-live.
- Prove the full booking-to-session flow end-to-end, including every failure path, across real devices and networks.
In your first 6–12 months:
- Turn a freelance-built platform into a maintainable, well-owned codebase with a team to match.
- Establish a sane delivery cadence and the engineering and product processes we'll scale on.
- Set the post-launch roadmap and start shipping against it.
Who you are
- 8+ years building software, with senior or lead engineering experience and you've carried real product responsibility, not just executed someone else's spec.
- You've shipped a consumer product that takes real payments and handles sensitive personal data, to production and through real users.
- You've worked somewhere the security and data bar is real health-tech, fintech, or similar. You're not learning why it matters here.
- You can run a security review and stand up the controls behind it yourself, not just brief someone else to.
- Hands-on operator first, leader second: you lead through doing.
- You work directly and candidly with a non-technical founder.
A bonus, not a requirement: you've been part of an early-stage or founding team before and know how to operate without much process; marketplace or telehealth experience; multi-jurisdiction products; or having taken a product through SOC 2 / ISO 27001 / GDPR.
Why this role matters
In a category built on trust, the technical decisions are the business. Whether a session holds, whether data stays safe, whether the platform feels solid that's what earns the trust everything else depends on. As a founding-team member you'll build the foundation MindFriend grows on, and shape the company from its first day live. This is a rare chance to own the technical heart of a company at the moment it matters most.
Benefits
- A founding-team seat working directly to the founder, with real authority and real ownership of the problems that matter most.
- A product that's already built and a launch to drive, not a blank page.
- Competitive cash compensation plus equity, reflecting the seniority and ownership of the role.
- And a mission worth the work making trustworthy mental-health support easier to find.
How to apply
Write to us one short story: a product you took to launch that handled payments or sensitive data what you were responsible for, and what nearly went wrong. We value substance over polish; tell us what you've built, not just where you've worked.
Remote Head of Engineering & Product/ Founding Team in Armagh employer: Mind Friend
MindFriend is an exceptional employer for those seeking to make a meaningful impact in the mental health space. As a founding team member, you will enjoy a unique opportunity to shape the future of a vital platform while working closely with the founder, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. With competitive compensation, equity options, and a mission-driven environment, MindFriend offers a rewarding career path for passionate individuals ready to tackle significant challenges in a supportive and dynamic setting.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Remote Head of Engineering & Product/ Founding Team in Armagh
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the tech and mental health space. A personal introduction can make all the difference when you're aiming for a founding-team role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your hands-on experience! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, share specific examples of how you've tackled tough engineering challenges. They want to see that you can lead by doing.
✨Tip Number 3
Be ready to discuss security and reliability! Given the sensitive nature of the role, brush up on your knowledge of data protection and how to ensure a seamless user experience. This will show you're serious about the job.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in being part of the MindFriend team from the get-go.
We think you need these skills to ace Remote Head of Engineering & Product/ Founding Team in Armagh
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Authentic:When writing your application, let your personality shine through! We want to know the real you, so don’t be afraid to share your unique experiences and insights. Remember, we value substance over polish.
Tell Your Story:Craft a compelling narrative about a product you've launched that involved handling payments or sensitive data. Focus on your responsibilities and any challenges you faced. This is your chance to showcase your problem-solving skills!
Keep It Concise:While we love a good story, keep it short and sweet. Aim for clarity and impact in your writing. We’re looking for the key points that highlight your experience and expertise without unnecessary fluff.
Apply Through Our Website:Make sure to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting founding-team role. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mind Friend
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies and frameworks relevant to the role. Brush up on your coding skills and be ready to discuss how you've tackled complex technical challenges in the past. This is a hands-on position, so demonstrating your technical prowess will be key.
✨Understand the Product and Market
Familiarise yourself with MindFriend’s mission and the mental health marketplace. Think about how you can contribute to the product direction post-launch. Be prepared to share insights on what features could enhance user experience and how you would prioritise them.
✨Prepare for Real-World Scenarios
Since reliability and security are paramount, think of potential failure paths in the booking and session flow. Prepare to discuss how you would handle these scenarios and ensure a seamless user experience, even under less-than-ideal conditions.
✨Show Your Leadership Style
This role requires leading by doing, so be ready to share examples of how you've successfully led teams in the past. Discuss your approach to mentoring and growing talent, especially in a fast-paced, early-stage environment where processes may not be fully established.