How Long Does It Take to Hire a CTO or VP of Engineering?
Hiring a CTO or VP of Engineering is one of the longest searches a tech company runs. The role shapes your architecture, your engineering culture and your next twenty hires, so most founders want it done well and fast at the same time.
This guide covers realistic timelines for each stage, what slows leadership searches down, when to hire from outside, and how to compare executive search proposals.
Recruiting
October 28, 2026
Maiia
The short answer
Plan for one to four months from the first briefing call to an accepted offer, then add the candidate's notice period. Executive search firms often quote 90 to 120 days for a VP of Engineering. With OnHires, first vetted candidates arrive within 7–10 days, and many leadership searches close in about a month; niche, very senior or confidential searches take longer.
Notice periods are the part founders forget. In the US, two to four weeks is common. In much of Europe, senior engineers and leaders often have one to three months of notice, so a CTO who accepts in March may start in June.
Stage by stage: where the time goes
- Brief and scorecard (week 1). Agree on the mandate: build from scratch or scale an existing platform, team size today and in 12 months, reporting line, compensation and equity range. A vague brief is the most common reason searches restart.
- Market mapping and outreach (weeks 1–2). The best candidates are rarely applying for jobs. A recruiter maps leaders at relevant companies and approaches them directly and confidentially.
- First shortlist (days 7–10 with OnHires). You review a small set of vetted candidates rather than a pile of CVs.
- Interviews and assessment (weeks 2–5). Typically a founder conversation, a technical deep dive or architecture session, a meeting with the team and a final round with investors or the board. Reference checks run in parallel.
- Offer and negotiation (about a week). Salary, equity, vesting, title and start date. Leaders often negotiate harder on equity than on base salary.
- Notice period (two weeks to three months). Depends on the country and the candidate's current contract.
What slows CTO and VP of Engineering searches down
- An unclear role. "CTO" can mean a hands-on architect, a people leader or a technical co-founder. Decide which one you need before the search starts.
- Compensation below market. Senior leaders compare your offer with their current package, including unvested equity they would leave behind.
- Too many interview rounds. Every extra week gives strong candidates time to accept another offer. Four or five touchpoints are usually enough.
- Slow feedback. Aim to give feedback within 48 hours of each interview.
- Confidential replacements. Searching while the current leader is still in the role limits outreach and adds time.
CTO or VP of Engineering: which one do you need?
A CTO owns technical strategy: architecture, build-versus-buy decisions, security and how technology supports the business. A VP of Engineering owns delivery: hiring engineers, team structure, processes and shipping on time. Early-stage startups often need one person doing both. As the engineering team grows, the roles usually split.
When should a startup hire a CTO from outside?
Hire from outside when nobody on the founding team owns technical strategy, when the product is moving from validation to scale and needs architecture, security and engineering hiring processes, when the team has to grow quickly, or when investors and enterprise clients expect a proven technical leader. If a senior engineer already leads the team well, hiring a VP of Engineering to run delivery while that person grows into the CTO role is often the better choice.
How to compare executive search proposals
- Fee: the percentage of annual salary, and whether it is calculated on base salary only or includes bonus.
- Payment structure: an upfront retainer, staged payments or payment on success.
- Exclusivity: whether you can run the search with other agencies or your own team.
- Guarantee: how long a free replacement applies if the hire leaves.
- Speed: when you will see the first shortlist.
- Who does the work: the person on the sales call or a junior researcher.
How OnHires runs leadership searches
OnHires runs CTO, VP of Engineering and other C-level searches for tech companies in the US and Europe. The fee is a one-time 18–20% of annual salary for C-level roles: 18% on the Retainer package (a $1,000 deposit deducted from the fee), 19% on Exclusive and 20% on Competitive. First vetted candidates arrive within 7–10 days, and every placement includes a 3-month free replacement. See how our executive search works, or compare it with pay-per-hire recruitment.