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- Tasks: Lead tech development and scale our innovative AI start-up.
- Company: Join a fast-growing AI start-up with 50,000+ active users and top investors.
- Benefits: Enjoy remote work, meaningful equity, and a values-driven culture.
- Why this job: Shape the future of tech in a high-impact role with massive growth potential.
- Qualifications: Experience in scaling teams and systems; strategic thinking is essential.
- Other info: Remote-first position, ideally for those in European time zones or East Coast USA.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
We’re seeking a Founding Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to join a fast-growing, well-funded AI start-up. With 50,000+ active users already and backing from leading investors, we’re entering an exciting new phase and we’re looking for a world-class CTO to drive our technology forward.
This is more than a technical leadership role; it’s a rare opportunity to shape the architecture, team, and product DNA of a company.
About the Role: As our Chief Technology Officer, you’ll be responsible for leading the development and scaling of our technology stack, shaping our engineering culture, and helping guide the strategic direction of the business alongside the CEO and founding team. This is a founding-level position where your decisions will directly influence the success and trajectory of the company. We’re not looking for someone to maintain legacy systems; we’re looking for a builder who can lay down the tracks as the train accelerates.
Key Challenges & Responsibilities:
- Defining and Executing a Modern, Future-Proof Tech Stack: Modern, scalable architectures tailored to real-time AI applications. Own the full stack: from backend and infrastructure to AI model serving and frontend frameworks. Select and implement the right tools, cloud platforms, CI/CD systems, and monitoring solutions.
- Building and Leading a World-Class Engineering Team: Recruit, mentor, and retain exceptional engineers across AI/ML, full stack, DevOps, and product engineering. Instil a high-performance culture rooted in accountability, creativity, and ethical innovation. Design org structure, hiring plans, and team processes for long-term growth and execution.
- Strategic Product & Technical Leadership: Partner closely with the CEO and other founders to influence product direction, prioritise roadmaps, and communicate plans to investors and stakeholders. Bring a product-first mindset: balance innovation with usability, and ensure tech decisions align with business goals and user experience. Represent the tech vision externally as needed (e.g. investor discussions, industry events).
What We’re Looking For:
- Engineering & Leadership Experience: You’ve scaled teams and systems through significant growth phases (from early product to tens or hundreds of thousands of users). Some experience in building consumer products would be ideal. Proven ability to lead and inspire teams in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
- Product & Strategic Thinking: You’re not just a technologist; you’re a strategic thinker who understands the “why” behind the product. You think holistically about user experience, conversion, retention, and how tech drives engagement. Experience working in or adjacent to creator platforms, entertainment tech, or consumer media is a major plus.
Why This Role?
- Massive Growth Opportunity: Join a start-up at an inflection point, with strong early traction and ample capital to scale.
- Category-Defining Mission: High Agency, High Impact: You’ll shape the entire engineering org from day one, with full ownership of systems, hiring, and culture.
- Meaningful Equity: As a founding exec, you’ll receive a significant equity stake in a company with real product-market fit and ambitious long-term goals.
- Values-Driven Culture: We care about what we’re building and why. Every decision — product, people, and platform — is made with integrity and clarity of mission.
Location: Remote-first, with preference for European time zones or East Coast USA
Compensation: Significant Equity - Plus substantial base and package, in line with other Leading Venture Backed Businesses.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at High-Growth AI Start-up employer: Blockchain 121
Contact Detail:
Blockchain 121 Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at High-Growth AI Start-up
✨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the AI and tech start-up space. Attend industry events, webinars, and meetups to connect with potential colleagues and investors. Building relationships can give you insights into the company culture and expectations.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your leadership experience by discussing specific examples of how you've scaled teams and systems in previous roles. Be prepared to share your vision for building a high-performance engineering culture that aligns with the company's mission.
✨Tip Number 3
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in AI and consumer technology. Being knowledgeable about current tools, platforms, and methodologies will demonstrate your commitment to driving innovation and staying ahead in the field.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your strategic thinking process. Be ready to explain how you would balance product innovation with user experience, and how your technical decisions would align with business goals. This will show that you understand the broader impact of technology on the company.
We think you need these skills to ace Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at High-Growth AI Start-up
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience in scaling teams and systems, particularly in high-growth environments. Emphasise any relevant experience with AI/ML technologies and consumer products.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for technology and leadership. Discuss how your strategic thinking aligns with the company's mission and how you can contribute to shaping their tech stack and engineering culture.
Showcase Relevant Projects: Include specific examples of projects where you've led teams or developed technology solutions that drove user engagement and growth. Highlight your role in these projects and the impact they had on the business.
Prepare for Technical and Strategic Questions: Anticipate questions about your technical expertise and strategic vision. Be ready to discuss how you would approach building a modern tech stack and leading a high-performance engineering team in a fast-paced environment.
How to prepare for a job interview at Blockchain 121
✨Showcase Your Vision
As a CTO, it's crucial to demonstrate your strategic thinking. Be prepared to discuss your vision for the technology stack and how it aligns with the company's goals. Highlight your experience in building scalable systems and how you plan to lead the engineering team towards that vision.
✨Emphasise Team Building Skills
This role requires not just technical expertise but also strong leadership abilities. Share examples of how you've successfully recruited, mentored, and retained top talent in previous roles. Discuss your approach to fostering a high-performance culture and how you plan to instil that within the new team.
✨Demonstrate Product Understanding
Be ready to talk about your experience with consumer products and how technology drives user engagement. Discuss your understanding of user experience, conversion, and retention strategies. This will show that you can balance innovation with usability, which is key for this role.
✨Prepare for Strategic Discussions
Since you'll be partnering closely with the CEO and other founders, prepare to discuss how you would influence product direction and prioritise roadmaps. Think about how you would communicate technical plans to investors and stakeholders, as this will be an important part of your role.
