It seems like no one is just a plain old developer anymore. Instead, they’re an IOS ninja, a java jedi, or a scripting guru. And let’s be honest, we all know an “innovation sherpa” or two.
We see these kinds of titles all the time, especially in the tech world.
From digital prophets to chief troublemakers, here they are in all their glory.
1. Chief Flavor Officer
Company: Bai Brands
Well, there’s one title that award-winning musician and actor Justin Timberlake didn’t have until 2016 — CFO. In October, Timberlake became Bai Brands’ first chief flavor officer. In other words, he’ll help the beverage company launch products and develop new flavors.
2. Galactic Viceroy of Research Excellence
Company: Microsoft
Description: Here’s a sexy title for a job that means you do cloud-related research for Microsoft. This role was occupied by James Mickens, also referred to as the “LeBron James of Computer Science.” Much of his research focused on improving the quality of web applications. Today, Mickens has a very regular title: associate professor at Harvard University, according to his LinkedIn profile.
3. Fashion Evangelist
Company: Tumblr
Description: Having a Tumblr page featuring artsy shots in exotic places is par for the course when you have a job title like this. In the role is Valentine Uhovski, whose responsibilities include partnering with bloggers, designers and fashion brands, like Vera Wang and Calvin Klein.
4. Paranoid In Chief
Company: Yahoo
Description: Let’s be honest — Paranoid in chief sounds much more intriguing than plain old “chief information security officer.” And it makes sense: Yahoo’s entire cybersecurity division is known as “the Paranoids.”
5. Hacker-in-Residence
Company: LinkedIn
Description: Matthew Shoup’s first title at LinkedIn was nothing out of the ordinary: “technical marketer.” But when Shoup started winning the company’s hack days, his role transformed into “hacker in residence.” His role included creating prototypes for internal tools and turning designs into products. Shoup is no longer at LinkedIn, but it’s unclear if his role is up for grabs.
6. In-House Philosopher
Company: Google
Description: This title is proof that your philosophy degree could land you a job at Google. Even the search giant needs someone to turn to when it has a question. The company literally employed someone whose job is to solve engineering problems using “a humanistic perspective.”
7. Bacon Critic
Company: Time Inc. (Disclosure: Time Inc is also the parent company of Fortune)
Description: Yep, you read that right. Time Inc.’s brand, Extra Crispy, actually hired someone to critique bacon. Though the job has been filled, the candidate seems pretty qualified — he has eaten 31 different animals in the span of a month. We’ll leave it at that.
8. Director of Sound Design
Company: Facebook
Description: This doesn’t sound like such an odd title until you consider that it’s at Facebook. The director of sound design is responsible for creating all the “pop ding” and “pop om” sounds you hear when you receive a notification on your Facebook feed.
Related: 7 Fortune 500 Jobs That Seem Too Good to Be True
9. Chief Troublemaker
Company: Matrix Group
Description: When the CEO title doesn’t sound fun enough, why not spice it up? Founder and chief troublemaker Joanna Pineda takes her title very seriously at the web design agency she founded. “I make trouble,” she told the Washington Post back in 2004. “I’ll walk into a project and I’ll say, ‘What if we start over?’ I hope that people use the title affectionately around the office.”
10. Executive Sensei
Company: Virginia Mason Medical
Description: You’ll need a master’s degree, 10 years of leadership experience and some executive coaching to qualify as an “executive sensei,” according to Virginia Mason Medical’s recent posting on hiring site Monster.com. The sensei will help support clients and manage the business aspects of the company.
11. Digital Prophet
Company: AOL
Description: David Shing, or “Shingy,” is so proud of his title that he has a business card with an embedded microchip that reads “Digital Prophet, AOL.” The company reportedly pays him six figures to watch “the future take shape across the vast online landscape.”
12. Chief Storyteller
Company: Microsoft
Description: Microsoft’s “chief storyteller” doesn’t sell anything — he literally just tells stories. This person is responsible for “changing the perception of Microsoft through stories.” Those stories can be told through blogs, photos, cartoons, keynotes, and events.
Related: If You Want to Destroy Your Career, Do This
13. Master Clay Modeler
Company: Ford
Description: This job title actually lives up to its hype. For each new car that Ford rolls out, clay modelers build several full-size clay iterations until they refine it to its final model. The process can take up to two years.
14. Chief Evangelist
Company: Clever
Description: You might be wondering – “chief evangelist” of what? Well, of her company. Stefania Pomponi is the co-founder and chief evangelist of her influencer marketing agency, and her job is literally to “promote our industry leadership, expertise, and innovation anywhere and everywhere I can.”
15. Chief Executive Unicorn
Company: PowToon
Description: Because there aren’t enough unicorns, there’s one over at PowToon as well. Ilya Spitalnik is CEO (or CEU) of the company that sells software to make animated explainer videos. However, it looks like Spitalnik may have recently changed his title to “Chief Renegade Scientist.”
16. Chief Heart Officer
Company: VaynerMedia
Description: Digital agency VaynerMedia is making the HR director role super personal. They’ve hired someone who constantly reaches out to employees through one-on-one meetings, text messages, emails, and phone calls. “Today, my day will be made up of 15 to 20 one-on-ones,” CHO Claude Silver said in August. “And by the time I get to the office at 9 a.m. I will have probably already sent out just as many different text messages, so people know I am thinking about them.”
17. Dean of Pizza
Company: Pizza Hut
Description: When you’re the dean of pizza, strategy and leadership are important, but so are the basics. This role requires training Pizza Hut managers on how to properly cut and place the pizza in the box.
18. Chief Play Officer
Company: Toys “R” Us
Description: Each year, Toys “R” Us, Canada, hires a qualified candidate to play with and review all the hottest new toys before they’ve hit the shelves. When 12-year-old Émile Burbidge found out he got the job, he said he knew it would be the “coolest job in the world.”
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19. Happiness Hero
Company: Buffer
Description: What do you call someone who has experience in a SaaS environment and can troubleshoot bugs and solve technical issues? A happiness hero, according to social media marketing company Buffer. “At the core, we believe that fast, comprehensive, and personal replies inherently make people happy,” reads the job listing.
20. Chief Curator
Company: eBay
Description: You might be wondering what there is to curate at eBay? In 2013, the company hired 200 curators, or “tastemakers and well-known people who users can follow to see their latest product selections.” The chief curator is responsible for featuring products on the homepage.
