CTO - united kingdom

JR United Kingdom; Stoke-on-Trent; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A funded, early-stage gaming startup based in the UK is seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to own the technology vision and help build a team from the ground up. This hands-on role requires a blend of technical expertise and leadership to shape the engineering function for innovative multiplayer online experiences. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in software engineering, strong backend architecture skills, and proficiency in Rust, alongside a passion for immersive technology.

Benefits

Flexible remote/hybrid setup

Autonomy to shape the tech vision

Opportunity to build a team and product

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software engineering or technical architecture.
• Strong systems-level understanding and backend architecture experience.
• Self-driven with a startup mindset and strong ownership.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the technology strategy.
• Design architecture for high-concurrency gaming platform.
• Hire, mentor, and build an exceptional engineering team.

Skills

Software engineering

Technical architecture

Communication

Leadership

DevOps

Cloud-native technologies

Rust

Tools

AWS

GCP

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

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A funded, early-stage gaming startup is on a mission to build the next generation of immersive, large-scale multiplayer online experiences. The focus is on persistent virtual worlds with deep systems, innovative mechanics, and real-time interactivity—all powered by modern, high-performance technology.

With momentum building and a core product in development, the company is now hiring its first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to take ownership of the technology vision and build out the foundations of the engineering function.

The Role

This is a rare opportunity for a highly technical Senior Architect or Principal Engineer ready to step into a CTO role. The successful candidate will work directly with the founders, shape the technical strategy, and play a key role in product development from day one.

Unlike traditional CTO positions, this is a hands-on role: ideal for someone who enjoys staying close to the code while also leading architectural decision-making and building a high-performing engineering culture from scratch.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the overall technology strategy
• Design the architecture for a high-concurrency, low-latency MMO platform
• Build and scale real-time backend systems from the ground up
• Lead infrastructure and DevOps decisions (cloud, containers, CI/CD, deployment)
• Collaborate closely with product and design teams to bring features to life
• Hire, mentor and grow an exceptional engineering team over time
• Stay actively involved in coding and technical problem-solving

Experience & Skills Required

• 7+ years of experience in software engineering or technical architecture
• Strong systems-level understanding and backend architecture experience
• Proficiency in Rust or strong interest in becoming deeply proficient
• Experience building infrastructure for multiplayer or real-time applications
• DevOps/cloud-native experience (e.g., AWS/GCP, Kubernetes, Docker)
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Self-driven, with a startup mindset and strong ownership

Bonus Points

• Prior experience in building MMOs or large-scale online games
• Familiarity with ECS patterns, game engines, or networked physics systems
• Interest in immersive tech (VR, AR, virtual spaces)

The Offer

• £120,000+ salary (negotiable based on experience)
• Flexible remote/hybrid setup (UK-based preferred)
• Autonomy to shape the tech vision of a next-gen gaming platform
• Opportunity to build a team and product from the ground up

Applications are now open for an August start. This is an exciting chance for an ambitious engineer to step into a strategic leadership role, while continuing to build, ship, and innovate daily.