Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Position Overview

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is responsible for defining and executing the company’s technology vision, strategy, architecture, and long-term technical direction. The CTO will ensure that the company’s technology foundation is secure, scalable, reliable, innovative, and aligned with its business and product objectives.

The CTO will serve as the company’s senior technology leader, providing strategic direction across technology, engineering, architecture, infrastructure, data, AI, cybersecurity, and technology risk. The role will work closely with the Founder, CEO, Product, Engineering, Data, Security, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Operations teams to translate business and product priorities into scalable technology capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Vision & Strategy

• Define and execute the company’s long-term technology strategy and roadmap.
• Align technology priorities and investments with business objectives, product strategy, customer needs, and growth plans.
• Establish technology principles and decision frameworks that guide architecture, engineering, infrastructure, security, and data decisions.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and identify opportunities to create meaningful business and competitive advantage.
• Advise the CEO and executive leadership on technology opportunities, risks, trade-offs, and investments.

Architecture & Technical Direction

• Own the overall technology architecture and ensure it is secure, scalable, reliable, and designed for long-term growth.
• Set the technical direction for applications, platforms, APIs, cloud infrastructure, data platforms, and technology services.
• Lead major technology and architecture decisions, including build-versus-buy, platform selection, modernization, and technical debt.
• Establish engineering and architecture standards that support high-quality, maintainable, and sustainable technology development.
• Balance speed to market with scalability, reliability, security, quality, and cost efficiency.

Product & Engineering Leadership

• Partner with Product and business leadership to translate product vision and customer needs into scalable technology solutions.
• Lead the technology execution required to build and launch the company’s initial products, establishing the technology stack, infrastructure, and vendor strategy needed to support growth.
• Ensure technology capabilities enable rapid product development without compromising long-term platform integrity.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing engineering and technology organization.
• Establish organizational structures, technical ownership, leadership expectations, and engineering standards appropriate for company growth.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.

Scalability, Reliability & Technology Risk

• Ensure technology platforms can scale with increasing users, transactions, data, products, and business complexity.
• Oversee system reliability, availability, performance, observability, incident management, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
• Identify and proactively address technology bottlenecks, technical debt, single points of failure, and scalability risks.
• Provide executive-level oversight of cybersecurity, data protection, privacy, and technology risk.
• Ensure technology practices support applicable regulatory, compliance, privacy, and security requirements.

AI, Data & Emerging Technology

• Define the strategic role of AI, machine learning, data platforms, automation, and emerging technologies within the technology roadmap.
• Identify opportunities to use AI and automation to improve products, customer experience, operational efficiency, and decision-making.
• Ensure AI and data initiatives are supported by appropriate architecture, governance, security, privacy, and scalability.

Technology Investment & Executive Leadership

• Evaluate and oversee strategic technology platforms, infrastructure, vendors, and technology partnerships.
• Communicate technology strategy, priorities, performance, risks, and investment requirements to the CEO and executive leadership.
• Collaborate with Product, Finance, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Security, and other executive leaders to support company objectives.
• Serve as the primary technology advisor to the CEO and executive team.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline.
• 12+ years of progressive technology, software engineering, architecture, or technical leadership experience, including significant senior or executive-level responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience defining and executing technology strategy for complex, customer-facing digital products or platforms.
• Proven ability to build, scale, and lead high-performing technology organizations.
• Strong understanding of modern software architecture, cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, data platforms, cybersecurity, and engineering practices.
• Demonstrated ability to make complex technology and architecture decisions while balancing product velocity, scalability, security, reliability, quality, and cost.
• Excellent strategic thinking, executive judgment, communication, leadership, and decision-making skills.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in fintech, banking, payments, financial services, SaaS, or another highly regulated technology environment.
• Experience building or scaling technology organizations in a startup, growth-stage, or high-growth environment.
• Experience with large-scale, high-availability, transaction-intensive, or mission-critical platforms.
• Experience with AI/ML, data platforms, automation, or AI-enabled products.
• Experience establishing cybersecurity, privacy, technology risk, compliance, and business continuity practices.
• Experience leading globally distributed engineering or technology organizations.

CORE LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

• Technology Vision & Strategy
• Architecture & Technical Judgment
• Product & Technology Leadership
• Engineering Organization Leadership
• Scalability, Reliability & Resilience
• Cybersecurity, Privacy & Technology Risk
• AI, Data & Emerging Technology
• Technology Investment & Governance
• Strategic Decision-Making
• Executive Communication & Influence