Crowdsourcing a Job Title
So, I'm in the verge of accepting an offer to become the first EE hire at a startup. The position is currently Senior EE - Embedded Systems with the role being to design and produce products based on the founder's invention. I'll be responsible for ground up design (high level system design, component selection, schematic and PCB, firmware, and where applicable mobile app demos). I'd also be responsible for writing with customers to raise their ideas of things they could do with the core tech. So, I'm really excited about the work but the title is a bit bland. I'd have some flexibility to set my title, so looking for some ideas. Likely things with "Director" or "VP" won't fly and honestly I'm not necessarily looking at that at this stage. Maybe if I'm still around in a few years and we've built more of a team around me. Instead right now, I'm thinking of something like "Imagineer" except that's a blatant Disney title and I'd like to not be too derivative. TC to be 175k base, 0.5% equity over 4 years, 11 YOE.
Go with CEEO? Chief EE Officer?
Ha, points for creativity.
Head of Engineering / Head of Technology
The only appropriate time to give yourself a novel title is when (1) you already have a long resume of leadership titles, or (2) you own your own business and DGAF about how recruiters/companies perceive your title.
Seems pointless to wait for a long list of different titles. I have significant years already with a leadership title. More of them won't change that or my experience and that's assuming I'd even work at enough different places to accumulate whatever it takes to have a long list of titles. It's not so much that I DGAF about recruiters or companies browsing LinkedIn for titles but rather, I care more about the very small set that would find the novel title interesting versus the ones that would be turned off. So, if this is an even more effective screening tool, I'm even more convinced to go for it.
Principal
Electron Mover
This sounds appealing and they have several people with physics background that may appreciate the solidarity.
That’s good equity? What stage? Assuming early, I think you can try: founding EE or lead EE or staff EE
Series A. They made a hard sell to get me and I'd mentioned my disappointment with the equity in my competing offer (a well funded series A, pretty much we can consider them at series B level that is closing on effectively series C level funding soon, similar cash comp but only 0.02% equity).
Nicely done!