> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/2713342-chief-technology-officer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2713342-chief-technology-officer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Chief Technology Officer - **Company:** Ai, Inc - **Location:** Pasadena, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $300,000.0 - $350,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Databases, Software Debugging, Mobile Application Software, Systems Development Life Cycle, Stripe, Build Process, Api Design, Webhooks, Microservices - **Published:** September 4, 2026 - **Apply:** https://startup.jobs/chief-technology-officer-scratch-company-8963433 ## About the Role * Has led a company through a sale on the sell side, including hands-on experience preparing for diligence - this is not something we can teach on the job. * Has personally built observability, alerting, and security systems from near-ground-zero - not simply inherited and maintained existing systems. * Has led a security function directly, with real exposure to audits and compliance processes. * Has hands-on experience with agentic AI development and can speak to where it's genuinely being applied, not just discussed. * Comes from a background in distributed cloud backends, database scaling, and API architecture - this is not a fit for candidates whose experience is primarily mobile app or front-end/client-side engineering. * If several years removed from a hands-on technical or coding role, that's workable; a decade or more away from technical work is not. Technical Approach * Advocates for pragmatic, scalable architecture (modular monoliths over premature microservices) and strong FinOps discipline around cloud cost. * Comfortable owning Stripe-style payment internals (subscriptions, webhooks, ledgering) and designing secure third-party integrations. * Committed to SDLC rigor, especially if coming from an ops-heavy background. * Flexible on specific tooling - we're looking for strong judgment and principles, not attachment to a particular stack or vendor. Leadership & Working Style ## Description We're looking for a Chief Technology Officer who can lead our engineering, infrastructure, and security functions (~30 person team) through that process - building the operational maturity, technical standards, and team capability needed to stand up to diligence, while keeping the organization stable and motivated through the change. This is a hands-on leadership role, not a strategy-only seat. You'll spend meaningful time in the weeds - reviewing architecture, unblocking teams, and setting the technical bar - while building the structure, delegation, and bench strength that lets the org run without you as the bottleneck., * Revitalize and run our security function - own security as a first-class function, including audits, compliance readiness (e.g., SOC2/GDPR/HIPAA-type frameworks), application hardening, and incident response, not as an afterthought bolted onto engineering. * Bring a credible AI and engineering vision - with a real, substantiated point of view on where AI creates leverage for the team and the product - grounded in hands-on experience, not hype. Ready to hit the ground running with agentic security strategies. * Lead a distributed, remote-first engineering team - guiding and delegating rather than micromanaging, while staying technical enough to debug complex issues, review architecture, and defend technical decisions to outside parties. * Operate with commercial and financial fluency - tie technology decisions to cost and business value, and move with speed-over-perfection when the situation calls for it, without losing sight of the underlying goal. * Communicate with transparency and discretion - clear, tactful, and calibrated for the audience - whether that's the internal team during a period of change, or external parties during a sensitive process., * Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting business or product requirements; doesn't need a fully specified brief to move forward. * Operates roughly 30% hands-on / 70% structuring, delegating, and managing - hands-on enough to stay credible, but building a bench rather than becoming the bottleneck. * Genuinely curious about the business, customers, and problems being solved, and treats being wrong as useful information rather than a threat. * Proactive by default: when a process or structural gap surfaces, drives it to resolution with the right teams rather than stopping at a written recommendation. * Low ego about role and process - comfortable with Scratch's specific ways of operating (budgets, decision rights) even where they differ from past companies. * Shares credit generously ("we" over "I") and handles high-pressure mistakes without assigning blame. * Builds trust deliberately during a period of organizational change, and works inclusively across a distributed, international team. ## Related Videos - [Navigating Growth, Scaling Challenges, and Office Expansions with David Singleton, CTO at Stripe](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100362-navigating-growth-scaling-challenges-and-office-expansions-with-david-singleton-cto-at-stripe) - [Beyond Webhooks: The Future of Scalable API Event Delivery](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100312-beyond-webhooks-the-future-of-scalable-api-event-delivery) - [Kubernetes and Microservices with Multi-Model Databases](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/382-kubernetes-and-microservices-with-multi-model-databases) - [Throwing off the burdens of scale in engineering](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/608-throwing-off-the-burdens-of-scale-in-engineering) - [Build Your Own Subscription-based Course Platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/321-build-your-own-subscription-based-course-platform) - [The Vonage Trivia Voyage: Quiz Your Way to the Top!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/761-the-vonage-trivia-voyage-quiz-your-way-to-the-top) ## Related Articles - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [Trustworthy AI Starts at Deployment: 5 Checks Before You Ship](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/753-trustworthy-ai-starts-at-deployment-5-checks-before-you-ship) - [What is Software Engineering in the Age of AI?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/640-what-is-software-engineering-in-the-age-of-ai) - [MLOps And AI Driven Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/82-mlops-and-ai-driven-development) - [Stephan Gillich - Bringing AI Everywhere](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/489-stephan-gillich-bringing-ai-everywhere) - [Coffee with Developers - Maria Apazoglou - Making AI understandable for all in production](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/475-coffee-with-developers-maria-apazoglou-making-ai-understandable-for-all-in-production)