Chief Technology Officer

Ad Astra; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with Profit Sharing

Flexible Time Off

Office Dog!!

Job summary

Ad Astra, Overland Park, KS, seeks a Chief Technology Officer to set and execute the technology vision, owning the engineering and platform stack, and driving business outcomes, product innovation, and go-to-market performance.

The CTO will lead 50+ engineers across software, data integrations, infrastructure, and testing, partnering with executives to scale a SaaS platform for the higher education sector.

Qualifications

• Fifteen+ years of technology experience with ten+ years leading engineering in B2B SaaS.
• Experience as CTO or VP of Engineering in a SaaS company.
• Preferred background in higher education technology.
• Proven AI/ML capabilities and governance in a product organization.
• Strong data engineering and enterprise data platform design.
• Experience operating in PE-backed environments.

Responsibilities

• Strategic planning and vision to power mission, product evolution, and differentiation.
• Oversee software development lifecycle, Agile practices, and SVPG product approach.
• Lead AI, data, and analytics initiatives integrated with the product roadmap.
• Ensure scalable, secure cloud infrastructure meeting regulated data needs.
• Build and scale a high-performing engineering organization with accountability.

Skills

Technical leadership

CTO experience

AI & ML

Data engineering

Cloud architecture

PE experience

Job description

Competitive Compensation & Benefits Package

• 401(k) with Profit Sharing
• Flexible Time Off
• Office Dog!!

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief Technology Officer is responsible for setting and executing the company's technology vision, owning the full engineering and platform stack, and ensuring that technology decisions directly accelerate business outcomes, product innovation, and go to market performance. The CTO reports to the Chief Executive Officer and leads a team of 50 or more across software engineering, data integrations, infrastructure and Cloud, and testing. The CTO is a senior executive partner who thinks commercially, communicates transparently, and builds world class teams.

The CTO will be a key contributor to company strategy, client success, and Strategic Partner relations, and will represent engineering at the executive level. The right candidate combines deep technical depth with sharp business acumen, understands the unique dynamics of higher education institutions, and has a demonstrated record of building and scaling SaaS platforms in a high growth environment.

Additionally, the CTO will work with other parts of the organization in cross-company initiatives, such as corporate security, AI transformation, and corporate policy governance. He/she will have high levels of passion, intellect, drive, and energy and will be a self-confident, team-oriented individual with strong ethics and integrity.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS / CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Planning and Vision

The CTO shapes and champions the technology strategy that powers Ad Astra's mission, product evolution, and competitive differentiation in the higher education market.

The CTO builds and sustains a high performing engineering organization rooted in accountability, psychological safety, and a culture of continuous improvement.

Software Development

The CTO owns the engineering processes, quality standards, and delivery mechanisms that power Ad Astra's SaaS platform. The CTO drives a modern, discipline-driven software development lifecycle grounded in Agile principles and SVPG product practices.

Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Analytics

The CTO leads Ad Astra's evolution as an AI enabled, data driven platform company, ensuring that data architecture, data science capability, and AI strategy are first class investments deeply integrated into the product roadmap and business strategy.

Infrastructure & Security

The CTO is accountable for a resilient, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure that meets the reliability expectations of higher education institutions and the compliance requirements of regulated data environments.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive technology experience, with at least 10 years leading engineering organizations within B2B SaaS companies serving mid-market or enterprise clients.
• Demonstrated success as a CTO or VP of Engineering in a SaaS company with a track record of building and scaling cloud native platforms from early stage through growth and maturity.
• Experience in the higher education technology sector preferred, with working knowledge of institutional workflows, data systems, and the regulatory environment governing student data.
• Proven experience building and evolving AI and machine learning capabilities within a product organization, including responsible AI governance and client facing AI capability delivery.
• Strong background in data engineering, data integration architecture, and enterprise data platform design using modern cloud data tools.
• Experience operating within or alongside a private equity-backed environment, with an understanding of the performance expectations, operational cadence, and value creation priorities of PE ownership.

This position is an in-office role in Overland Park, KS. Ad Astra does not cover relocation expenses.

Ad Astra is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and fairness—regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, political affiliation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.