Job Description: Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Shields Group Search is recruiting on behalf of an innovative startup in stealth mode, developing a transformative AI-powered platform designed to redefine digital marketplace interactions. The experienced team is tackling critical industry challenges that have long been overlooked, leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to drive efficiency,

scalability, and new opportunities for market disruption.

As they approach their first funding round, the company is seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the technology vision and execution. This role presents a unique opportunity to shape the foundational architecture of a high-impact consumer product, influencing both product strategy and company growth at a pivotal stage. With a rapidly evolving multi-billion-dollar market at stake, the right leader will drive the adoption of AI-driven methodologies to create a scalable, intelligent, and resilient platform.

In this role, you will be given the green light to use AI to the fullest to build this core product and be a critical part of launching this company from the ground up. Please apply if you are excited about leading, setting the technical direction, and leveraging and leaning on AI hard.

This role requires coming into the company for the foreseeable future in a sweat equity capacity until fundraising / launch of the product this year. This role is an opportunity to work alongside a founder with successful exits & build a product that will fundamentally change how consumers buy/sell products online.

Must be a hands on, in the weeds, ready to be gritty and code CTO.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Vision and Strategy: Develop and implement a scalable technology roadmap aligned with our business objectives, incorporating AI-driven methodologies and tools to ensure competitive advantage and operational excellence.
Product Development: Oversee the architecture, design, and development of our core platform, leveraging AI-assisted coding, automated code reviews, and AI-enhanced security scanning to ensure reliability, security, and scalability.
AI-Enhanced DevOps: Implement and optimize an AI-powered DevOps pipeline, including AI-driven unit testing, integration testing, and deployment automation to accelerate development cycles and improve software quality.
Observability and Automation: Integrate AI-driven observability tools to proactively monitor system performance, identify anomalies, and implement self-healing mechanisms and predictive analytics.
Team Hiring and Leadership: Help recruit and lead a high-performing technical team proficient in modern AI-driven development practices, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
Collaborative Leadership: Work closely with the founding team to align technical capabilities with product vision and market strategy.
Fundraising Support: Provide technical expertise in investor discussions and assist with due diligence processes to secure investor confidence.

Qualifications

Proven Leadership: Over 10 years of experience in senior technology positions, focusing on startups or rapidly growing companies.
0-1: Experience in an early stage founding role and/or experience building MVPs from scratch to launch
Technical Mastery: Strong expertise in cloud infrastructure, AI/ML, and programming languages (e.g., Python, TypeScript, Node.js, Golang). Experience with cloud-native architectures on AWS or Google Cloud, including serverless computing, container orchestration, API management, and scalable storage. Familiarity with AI-driven DevOps tools, cloud monitoring, infrastructure-as-code, and security automation.
Entrepreneurial Mindset: The capacity to navigate uncertainty and develop strong systems from the ground up.
Collaborative Spirit: Outstanding communication abilities for effective cross-functional teamwork and engagement with founders and investors.
AI Experience: Must be up to speed on AI assisted pipelines and ready to use AI to the fullest
Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is preferred but not mandatory.
Must be US Citizen
Location: Remote, but preference for Bay Area candidates

What We Offer

Strategic Influence: A leadership role with the power to shape the product and company trajectory.
Dynamic Environment: Work on cutting-edge technology to disrupt an established industry.
Growth Potential: Unique opportunities for professional development as the company scales.
Compensation: Significant equity & competitive cash compensation upon fundraising/revenue

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Chief Technology Officer