About the Role
A1 is building a proactive AI chat app for everyday users to bring intelligence to conversations, errands, organising and workflows. Unlike traditional chat-based applications, our product focuses on achieving high reliability for long-running workflows, persistent context, and real-world task completion. The system must handle multi-step reasoning, interact with external tools, and remain reliable despite non-deterministic model behaviour.
We are looking for a leader who can think clearly about systems, make strong technical decisions, and help build the engineering organisation from the ground up. Be part of the founding team to shape the technical direction of the company, while helping build a strong engineering team across the globe.
What You'll Do
- Technical Direction
- Define the long-term architecture for A1’s AI systems, infrastructure, and developer platform
- Evaluate trade-offs between speed of iteration and long-term system design
- Ensure systems are designed for scalability, reliability, and long-term evolution
- Guide key decisions across model integration, data pipelines, distributed systems, and product architecture
- Engineering Leadership
- Work with engineers to translate product direction into clear technical execution
- Help structure engineering workstreams and keep teams aligned on priorities
- Maintain high engineering standards while keeping the team focused on shipping
- Establish engineering culture, development practices, and technical standards across the company
- Building the Team
- Build and scale a world-class engineering team across key talent hubs including China and US
- Identify strong technical leaders and help build a high-quality engineering organization
- Define hiring standards and interview processes to maintain a high engineering bar
- Coordination and Execution
- Work closely with product, research, and leadership teams
- Ensure technical workstreams move forward smoothly across teams and locations
- Help resolve cross-team technical and execution challenges
What You Will Need
- Strong technical foundation in system architecture, large-scale systems, distributed architecture.
- Ability to reason clearly about complex systems and make pragmatic technical decisions
- Experience building or leading high-performing engineering teams
- Strong judgment on technical trade-offs and engineering priorities
- Comfortable operating in early-stage environments with high ambiguity
- Clear communication and ability to align teams
We are particularly interested in candidates who enjoy building teams, superior products and shaping engineering organisations.
How We Work
The best products today in the world were built by small, world class teams. We are a high talent density and hands-on team. We make decisions collectively, move at rapid speed, striking a balance between shipping high quality work and learning. Joining our team requires the ability to bring structure, exercise judgment, and execute independently. Our goal is to put in the hands of our users a truly magical product.
Interview process
If there appears to be a fit, we'll reach out to schedule 3, but no more than 4 interviews. Applications are evaluated by our technical team members. Interviews will be conducted via virtual meetings and/or onsite. We value transparency and efficiency, so expect a prompt decision. If you've demonstrated the exceptional skills and mindset we're looking for, the process to offer may be shorter.
Chief Technology Officer in London employer: BJAK
BJAK is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration, making it an ideal place for ambitious professionals looking to make a significant impact. With a focus on employee growth and development, we offer numerous opportunities for advancement in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Join us in our mission to scale operations across multiple countries and be part of a team that values ownership and efficiency.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief Technology Officer in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at BJAK or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to BJAK.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like BJAK.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like BJAK that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at BJAK.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at BJAK and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at BJAK
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If BJAK uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
