Chief Technology Officer

USSE; Hutchinson, Northern (KS, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Founding equity

Token compensation

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

USSE in Hutchinson, Kansas seeks a founding Chief Technology Officer to own an end-to-end on-chain platform, including live contracts on Ethereum and Base, APIs, and security posture. You will lead upgrades, audits, and key-custody decisions, owning the technical roadmap and launch readiness.

The role requires hands-on coding with Solidity, deep EVM knowledge, and a security-first mindset, with founding equity and potential token compensation. Hybrid work available.

Qualifications

• 10+ years building software with senior technical leadership roles
• Hands-on Solidity and EVM depth, including upgrade patterns and failure modes
• Production experience with backend services and databases
• Security-first mindset for non-rollback systems
• You still write and review code and will continue coding

Responsibilities

• Own upgrade decisions and evidence of change
• Decide when contracts stop being upgradeable
• Set the order/timing for exchange, staking, liquidity and governance activations
• Oversee security audits and key custody controls
• Ensure verifiable change history for auditors/regulators

Skills

Solidity

EVM depth

Backend systems

Security-first mindset

Code authoring

Leadership

Tools

Audits

Job description

# Chief Technology OfficerOwn everything this company ships and everything it runs: smart contracts on four chains, the services that read them, and the security posture around all of it.ENGFull timeKansasApply for this roleAbout the roleMost software can be patched after it ships. A smart contract change cannot be taken back once it is signed. USSE needs a founding Chief Technology Officer who reads code, owns a live on-chain platform end to end, and is the person who says a change is ready, or that it is not ready yet.### The platform todayOur technology is further along than our business, and you should know exactly how far:* Live in production on Ethereum mainnet and on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network, since July 4, 2026.* The token sale contracts are deployed but paused. No tokens have been sold, and token trading is not switched on.* A built-in token exchange, staking, liquidity programs, and on-chain governance are built and waiting to be activated. Deciding when each one is safe to turn on is part of this job.* The company is pre-revenue and has not raised a priced equity round.### What you will run* Smart contracts on Ethereum and Base. Most can still be upgraded, and making any of them permanent is a one-way decision.* The API, databases, real-time delivery, and the indexers that read both blockchains.* DEEP Mail, our end-to-end encrypted messaging secured with zero-knowledge proofs, alongside TheWall social feed, the Media Marketplace, and on-chain identity.* Gasless actions: a user pays in ETH on Ethereum and the action completes on Base.* The web application, the internal admin systems, and an Android app.* Security monitoring, secrets management, and the controls around the company's keys.### Decisions that will be yours* Whether an upgrade is ready to sign, and what evidence proves it worked afterwards.* When a contract should stop being upgradeable for good.* The order and timing for switching on the exchange, staking, liquidity, and governance features.* Which security audits happen before each activation, and who performs them.* How company keys are held and how a signing is approved, set with the CFO.* How the platform proves who changed a record, when, and who approved it, so an auditor or regulator can check the answer.The details of each area are covered in the interviews.### What you bring### Required* 10+ years building software, including senior technical leadership such as CTO, VP of Engineering, or principal engineer.* Hands-on Solidity and EVM depth: proxy upgrade patterns, storage layout, contract size limits, and the ways an upgrade can fail.* Production experience running backend services and databases that other people depend on.* A security-first instinct for systems that cannot be rolled back, including key custody and multi-step approvals.* You still write and review code, and you expect to keep doing it.* You are ready to trade a large salary today for founding ownership in what you run.### Strongly preferred* Smart contract security audits, as the auditor or as the team being audited.* Ethereum Layer 2 networks and cross-chain messaging.* Applied cryptography, such as zero-knowledge proofs or end-to-end encryption.* Engineering in fintech, payments, or another regulated industry.* Incident response and written post-incident reviews.### How you work* You would rather stop a release than ship something you have not verified.* You trust a check only after you have watched it fail against the broken case.* You write down what you have confirmed and what you have only assumed.### Where the CTO worksThe CTO works from our corporate office in Hutchinson, Kansas. You can begin on a hybrid schedule and then move to Hutchinson to work in person, because release decisions and incidents go better with the people involved in the same room. We will set the timing of the move with you.### Pay, ownership, and the riskPay is negotiated with the right candidate and is expected to combine:* A cash salary* Founding equity in the company, vesting on a standard schedule* Token compensation where offered, governed by its own agreement, vesting, lockup, and securities lawNone of it depends on how much money the company raises.A live platform is not a funded company. We have no revenue, no tokens sold, and no equity round yet, so cash may be limited or deferred until funding arrives, and equity or tokens could end up worth nothing. If you want to set the technical course of a live on-chain platform and own part of the outcome, apply.### How to applyUse the form on this page and attach your résumé.When you submit, you will receive a reference code. Use it at usse.io/careers/status to check where your application stands at any time.USSE is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need an accommodation during the hiring process, let us know in your application and we will arrange it.This posting describes an employment opportunity. It is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security. Any offering of USSE tokens will be made only to verified accredited investors through definitive offering documents. United States Secured Exchange, Inc. is a private company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States government or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.