Head of Engineering

About This Role

As Head of Engineering, you will lead the technical development of KOncierge’s AI concierge and travel platform.

KOncierge provides real-time travel support, local experience discovery, and booking assistance for international travelers through channels such as WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, and web chat. The current product direction includes an AI-powered multilingual concierge, human-in-the-loop operations, internal dashboards, structured conversation logging, and handoff into booking or service flows.

This role is not an ML research position. It is a practical product engineering role focused on building reliable systems that can be used by real travelers and internal operators.

You will be expected to work across backend, AI integration, data pipelines, analytics, internal dashboards, and lightweight frontend/product interfaces. The ideal candidate is especially strong in Python, comfortable with LLM APIs, and able to design systems that help the team understand user intent, service quality, conversion, and operational performance.

AI Concierge & Backend Development

• Design and build backend systems for KOncierge’s AI-powered travel concierge
• Develop AI response generation, intent classification, conversation routing, and escalation workflows using LLM APIs
• Build human-in-the-loop systems that allow internal operators to monitor, intervene, and take over conversations when needed
• Integrate messaging and customer communication channels such as WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, web chat, and related APIs
• Build APIs and backend logic to connect user conversations with tours, guides, bookings, and service operations
• Improve reliability, latency, logging, and error handling for real-time customer-facing systems

Python, Data & Analytics Infrastructure

• Build and maintain Python-based services, scripts, and internal tools for AI, automation, and analysis
• Structure conversation, user intent, AI response, human action, booking, and outcome data for future analysis
• Create data pipelines and reporting systems that help the team understand product usage, conversion, service quality, and operational bottlenecks
• Develop dashboards or internal views for monitoring conversations, user behavior, sales handoff, and AI performance
• Work with growth and operations teams to track whether product interactions lead to inquiries, bookings, and revenue
• Use data to identify opportunities for automation, product improvement, and service optimization

Full-Stack Product Development

• Build internal dashboards, admin panels, and operator tools for managing users, conversations, guides, tours, and bookings
• Support frontend development when needed, especially for internal tools, landing pages, booking flows, and lightweight product interfaces
• Work across the product stack from database design and backend APIs to UI implementation and deployment
• Collaborate with non-technical team members to quickly turn operational needs into usable tools
• Balance speed, maintainability, and product quality in an early-stage startup environment

Technical Leadership

• Define KOncierge’s technical architecture and development priorities
• Make practical decisions about infrastructure, backend frameworks, databases, AI tools, analytics stack, and deployment
• Set up engineering workflows, documentation, development standards, and basic security practices
• Manage or collaborate with external developers, contractors, interns, or future engineering team members
• Translate business and operational needs into technical requirements
• Take ownership of the product’s technical roadmap together with the founding team

Required

• Strong backend development experience, preferably with Python
• Experience building production or near-production systems using frameworks such as FastAPI, Django, Flask, or similar
• Experience working with LLM APIs such as OpenAI or similar AI services
• Ability to design and build APIs, databases, logging systems, and internal tools
• Experience with relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL
• Ability to work across backend and basic frontend when needed
• Strong interest in AI products, automation, data analysis, and real-world user workflows
• Comfortable working in an early-stage startup with ambiguity, fast iteration, and limited resources
• Ability to communicate clearly with non-technical team members
• Business-level English or Korean communication ability

Preferred

• Experience with Python-based data analysis, automation, or analytics workflows
• Experience with product analytics, event tracking, dashboards, or BI tools
• Experience building chatbots, AI agents, customer support tools, CRM tools, or internal operation systems
• Experience integrating messaging platforms, customer communication APIs, or webhook-based systems
• Experience with frontend frameworks such as React, Next.js, or similar
• Experience with cloud deployment using GCP, AWS, Azure, Vercel, Cloud Run, Docker, or similar
• Experience working with tourism, hospitality, marketplace, travel, or customer support products
• Experience leading small engineering teams, contractors, or technical projects
• Korean, English, Japanese, or other multilingual product experience is a plus

Position Details

• Position: Head of Technology
• Type: Full-time
• Start Date: Late July to mid-August 2026
• Location: Seoul / Hybrid possible
• Compensation: To be discussed based on experience

Candidates must be legally eligible to work full-time in Korea. Foreign candidates who require visa sponsorship or a change of visa status should clearly indicate their current visa status and expected work authorization timeline when applying.

How to Apply

Please send your resume, GitHub, portfolio, LinkedIn, or examples of products, systems, AI tools, dashboards, or backend services you have built.

A short note about why you are interested in KOncierge, AI products, travel technology, or early-stage startup engineering is also welcome.