Chief Technology Officer

Flatiron Software; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Flatiron Software seeks a hands-on builder-founder for a stealth-mode startup, leading technology efforts from Day 0. The role demands strong engineering leadership, expertise in Python and TypeScript, and experience in launching AI-driven agent systems. The individual will also manage compliance initiatives and oversee a growing engineering team to enhance enterprise solutions.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years engineering leadership and hands-on coding in AI/ML or deep-tech startups.
• Shipped ≥ 2 production agentic systems with measurable business impact.
• Proven ownership of SOC-2 or equivalent security/compliance initiative.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the Perception → Planning → Execution agent pipeline.
• Evaluate and fine-tune open-source LLMs while hitting strict SLAs.
• Lead employee hiring and development for a small engineering team.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Hands-on coding

Security/compliance initiative

Expert in Python

Expert in TypeScript

DevOps skills

Agile methodology

Job description

The Opportunity

This is not a typical job post. Flatiron Software (elite AI engineering) and Snapshot AI (agent‑insight platform) are running the search on behalf of a stealth‑mode, fully funded startup founded by a repeat entrepreneur who took his previous venture from concept to a >$1.5 B valuation and led it as CEO for well over a decade.

Backed by a roster of globally recognized investors—including several top‑tier venture firms and distinguished industry angels—the company is positioned for rapid scale and long‑term impact.the company is positioned for rapid scale and long‑term impact.

We’re looking for a hands‑on builder‑founder to own the entire technology function from Day 0—writing production code daily, setting the architecture, and hiring and leading the engineering team that will ship to the first enterprise customers.

️ What You’ll Build & Own

• Architecture & Coding – Design and implement the Perception → Planning → Execution agent pipeline using Python, TypeScript, LangGraph, and K8s‑based microservices.
• Model Strategy – Evaluate, fine‑tune, and hot‑swap open‑source LLMs (DeepSeek‑R1, Mixtral, MiniMax) while hitting strict $/token and latency SLAs.
• Security & Compliance – Lead SOC‑2 Type II program; map to FedRAMP; enforce zero‑trust, signed tool calls, and audit logging.
• Developer Velocity – Stand up CI/CD, Eval Harness testing on every PR, and p95 latency ≤ 3 s for 128 K context.
• Team & Culture – Hire, coach, and inspire a small squad of Staff‑level agent engineers; run monthly “Agent Guild” workshops.
• Customer Impact – Partner with Product & Sales to translate P&L pain points into agent MVPs that unlock ≥ 30 % time savings for clients.

Success Looks Like (12–18 Months)

1. Agentic OS live in two enterprise pilots
2. KPI: ≥ 99 % decision accuracy
3. Open‑source LLM stack in production
4. KPI: Inference cost ↓ 60 % versus GPT‑4o
5. Compliance vault delivered
6. KPI: SOC‑2 Type II certification achieved; FedRAMP status “In Process”
7. Live ROI dashboard shipped
8. KPI: Real‑time telemetry on cost, quality, and IRR
9. Founding engineering team assembled
10. KPI: 3 senior agent engineers hired and retained

What You Bring

Must‑Haves

• 6–10 years engineering leadership and hands‑on coding in AI/ML or deep‑tech startups.
• Shipped ≥ 2 production agentic systems (LangChain/LangGraph/CrewAI/n8n) with measurable business impact.
• Proven ownership of SOC‑2 or equivalent security/compliance initiative.
• Expert in Python & TypeScript; strong DevOps chops (Docker, K8s, Terraform, Helm).
• Passion for zero‑to‑one environments; ability to turn fuzzy user pain into shipped software fast.

Bonus Points

• FedRAMP or FINRA audit experience.
• Open‑source contributor (LangChain, n8n, K8s).
• Experience with MoE inference, QLoRA, or GPU orchestration (Ray/Modal).
• Prior technical founder, CTO, or VPE at Series‑A+ B2B SaaS.

About the Collaboration

You will be a full‑time leader at the stealth startup, working day‑to‑day with its founding team. Flatiron Software and Snapshot AI serve as strategic build partners, providing on‑tap senior architects, proven tooling, and an eventual path to scale the engineering bench as needed.

️ To Apply

If you think you are a good fit for the position, please apply through LinkedIn.

Flatiron Software has a zero tolerance to discrimination policy. In this regard, during the course of the evaluation of your job application and during all your employment relation, if any, all discriminatory factors such as race, sex, sexual orientation, social gender definitions/roles, colour, national or social background, ethnicity, religion, age, disablement, political opinion or any status that is protected under law shall be totally disregarded.