VP of Engineering Search: Hiring Under an Existing CTO
An engineering VP who wanted the role on offer rather than the one above it — qualified honestly in the first conversation.
The brief
A Series C business needed an engineering VP to sit under an existing CTO — a role that is easy to describe and hard to fill, because the best candidates want the top job.
The search
Being straight about the ceiling in the first conversation cost us some interest and saved the client three months. Soft qualification exists for exactly this.
The outcome
Naming the ceiling in the first call cost some early interest and saved months of process. A candidate who withdraws at first contact is far cheaper than one who withdraws at offer, and a VP role under a settled CTO attracts exactly the people most likely to do the latter.
What we track on a search like this
- Time to shortlist — measured from Position Profile sign-off, not from the first conversation.
- Shortlist depth — a short list of genuine finalists rather than a long list to filter down.
- Retention at twelve months — reviewed with the client a year after the start date.
Representative engagement. Client and candidate details are withheld for confidentiality.