Chief Technology Officer

Hua Ao; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Hua Ao in Hong Kong is seeking a technology leader to establish the architecture and engineering team from the ground up and to lead the development and launch of core cross-border payment systems during the business setup phase.

You will recruit and shape the team, design scalable payments infrastructure, integrate channels, and collaborate with product, finance and compliance to deliver a trusted platform ready for launch.

Qualifications

• Experience leading core payment or cross-border payment systems from design to launch.
• Proven ability to build and manage engineering teams from scratch.
• Strong knowledge of payments processing, ledgers, clearing and settlement.
• Ability to connect bank integrations and end-to-end workflows.
• Excellent cross-functional communication in Mandarin and English.

Responsibilities

• Build the engineering team from scratch, including recruitment and structure.
• Design architecture and lead development and launch of payment systems.
• Integrate multiple payment channels and end-to-end processes.
• Define phased delivery plans and budget aligned with launch goals.
• Collaborate with business, product, finance and compliance for launch readiness.

Skills

Cross-border payments

Engineering team leadership

Payment processing knowledge

Architecture and design

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related

Job description

Location: Hong Kong preferred; other locations negotiable.

We are seeking a technology leader with experience building cross-border payment systems to establish the technology architecture and engineering team from the ground up, and lead the development and launch of core systems during the business setup phase.

Key Responsibilities

• Build the engineering team from scratch, including recruitment, team structure and development and delivery processes.
• Design the architecture and lead the development and launch of payment, transaction, ledger, clearing, settlement and reconciliation systems from the ground up.
• Integrate multiple payment channels and connect the end-to-end transaction, funds flow, accounting and settlement processes.
• Define phased delivery plans, technology choices and resource budgets aligned with launch objectives, ensuring security, stability and scalability.
• Work with business, product, finance and compliance teams to translate business concepts into products and systems ready for launch.

Ideal Background

• Experience in payments or cross-border payments, with end-to-end responsibility for core systems from design through launch.
• Experience building and managing engineering teams from scratch, with the ability to work through architecture and technical details and deliver results.
• Strong knowledge of payment processing, ledgers, clearing, settlement, reconciliation and bank integrations.
• Strong business understanding and cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to navigate uncertainty during business setup.
• An advantage: experience in product planning and product team management, with the ability to oversee both product and technology.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related discipline; at least 8 years of engineering experience, including at least 3 years managing technical teams.
• Proven experience leading the build of core payment or cross-border payment systems from scratch, owning requirements definition, architecture, technology selection, development and launch.
• Hands-on experience establishing engineering teams from the ground up, resolving critical technical issues and driving delivery with limited staff and resources.
• Expertise in payment processing, ledgers, clearing, settlement, reconciliation and bank integrations, with the ability to design and connect complete business workflows.
• Ability to set priorities, manage scope and iterate as the business evolves, even when requirements are not yet fully defined.
• Working proficiency in Mandarin and English, with strong communication skills across teams and external partners.
• Experience building products from scratch and managing product teams, with the ability to take responsibility for the product function, is preferred.