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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the tech team, build core systems, and design scalable services.
- Company: Join a dynamic startup where your engineering skills will shape the future.
- Benefits: Enjoy early-stage equity, high ownership, and a fast-paced work environment.
- Why this job: Be part of a close-knit team that values innovation and rapid execution.
- Qualifications: Proficient in modern backend languages and experienced with cloud infrastructure.
- Other info: Ideal for engineers eager to make impactful decisions and grow into leadership.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
We’re looking for a high-caliber engineer to join as a CTO. You should be deeply hands-on with code, technically opinionated, and capable of building production systems from scratch. This is a role for someone who enjoys execution but also has the potential (or ambition) to lead technology at a company-defining level.
What You'll Do
- Build and own core infrastructure and backend systems
- Design and implement APIs, data models, and scalable services
- Collaborate closely with founders on product direction and technical architecture
- Ship code fast, validate assumptions, and iterate
- Lay the groundwork for the future engineering team (tooling, processes, and architecture)
Core Technical Requirements
- Proficient in one or more modern backend languages (e.g. Python, Go, TypeScript, Java, Rust)
- Strong systems design skills — you can model real-world systems and reason about scale, latency, and trade-offs
- Comfortable building from zero — greenfield work doesn’t scare you; in fact, you prefer it
- Experienced with cloud infrastructure — AWS, GCP, or similar; IaC (Terraform, Pulumi, etc.) is a plus
- Competent with databases and data modeling — SQL and NoSQL, designing schema for scale
- Comfortable writing tests and deploying production systems — you care about code quality and reliability
Bonus Experience (Not Required, but Valuable)
- Worked at a Pre-Seed or Seed-stage startup through to Series A
- Built or deployed software used by enterprise customers
- Experience with applied machine learning or MLOps (not just academic or notebook-based work)
- Exposure to event-driven architectures, streaming systems (Kafka, etc.), or real-time data pipelines
- Frontend experience in React, TypeScript, or similar modern frameworks
What We Offer
- Early-stage equity and the opportunity to shape foundational decisions
- High ownership, zero bureaucracy — build what matters, fast
- Founders who value engineers, ship code, and work closely with you
- A role that grows with you — if you have CTO potential, you’ll have a path
You should apply if: You’re an engineer first — you solve problems through code, you like building things that work, and you’ve got the technical depth to back it up.
Chief Technology Officer - Startup employer: Nihires
Contact Detail:
Nihires Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief Technology Officer - Startup
✨Tip Number 1
Network with other tech leaders and engineers in the startup community. Attend meetups, conferences, or online forums where you can connect with individuals who have experience in CTO roles or similar positions. This can provide valuable insights and potentially lead to referrals.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your hands-on coding skills by contributing to open-source projects or building your own side projects. This not only demonstrates your technical abilities but also your passion for engineering and innovation, which is crucial for a role like CTO.
✨Tip Number 3
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in cloud infrastructure and modern backend languages. Being well-versed in these areas will help you stand out as a candidate who can build scalable systems from scratch, aligning perfectly with what we’re looking for.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your vision for technology at a startup level. Think about how you would approach building a team, establishing processes, and driving product direction. This will show us that you not only have the technical skills but also the leadership potential we value.
We think you need these skills to ace Chief Technology Officer - Startup
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your technical skills and experience relevant to the role of CTO. Emphasise your proficiency in backend languages, systems design, and any experience with cloud infrastructure or databases.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for engineering and problem-solving through code. Mention specific projects where you've built production systems from scratch and how you can contribute to the company's vision.
Showcase Relevant Experience: If you have experience working in startups or with technologies mentioned in the job description, make sure to highlight these. Discuss any greenfield projects you've led and the impact they had on the organisation.
Demonstrate Leadership Potential: Even if you haven't held a formal leadership position, illustrate instances where you've taken initiative or influenced technical decisions. This will show your capability to grow into the CTO role and lead a future engineering team.
How to prepare for a job interview at Nihires
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Be prepared to discuss your proficiency in modern backend languages and demonstrate your systems design skills. Bring examples of past projects where you built production systems from scratch, as this will highlight your hands-on experience.
✨Discuss Collaboration with Founders
Since the role involves close collaboration with founders, be ready to talk about how you've worked with stakeholders in previous roles. Share specific instances where your input shaped product direction or technical architecture.
✨Emphasise Your Problem-Solving Approach
As an engineer first, it's crucial to convey your problem-solving mindset. Discuss how you approach challenges through code, and provide examples of how you've iterated on solutions quickly to validate assumptions.
✨Prepare for Questions on Scalability and Reliability
Expect questions about designing scalable systems and ensuring code quality. Be ready to explain your experience with cloud infrastructure and databases, and how you ensure reliability in production systems.
