Chief Technology Officer – AI Strategy

Software Placement Group, SPG; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Software Placement Group (SPG) is seeking an accomplished Chief Technology Officer to lead technology vision, AI strategy, and product architecture for a growing enterprise SaaS company serving Fortune 500 customers. The role is a strategic, hands-on executive position designed to scale engineering teams and deliver AI-enabled software solutions.

The ideal candidate has 8–12 years in modern SaaS, a track record of building multiple SaaS products, and deep expertise in AI model selection,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline required.
• Experience as a Sr. Principal Architect or CTO-level technical leader.
• 8-12 years of experience in modern SaaS environments.
• Track record of building 3+ successful SaaS products.
• Hands-on shipping of AI into production code.
• Deep understanding of tokenization and token costs.
• Deep understanding of model selection (GPT, Claude, Gemini, open-source).
• Deep understanding of prompt engineering, RAG, vector databases, and AI agents/MCP frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Own the technology vision, engineering organization, AI strategy, and product architecture.
• Scale and lead high-performing engineering teams.
• Personally drive the shipping of AI capabilities into production code.
• Guide model selection and integration across GPT, Claude, Gemini, and open-source models.
• Oversee implementation of RAG pipelines, vector databases, and AI agents/MCP frameworks.
• Manage tokenization and token cost considerations across AI implementations.
• Apply prompt engineering best practices across product development.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with executive leadership and other departments.

Skills

CTO-level leadership

SaaS architecture

AI in production

Tokenization/costs

Model selection

Prompt engineering

RAG

Vector databases

AI agents/MCP

Executive communication

CS/Engineering degree

Education

Bachelors in CS/Engineering

Masters in CS/Engineering/AI (preferred)

Tools

GPT

Claude

Gemini

Open‑source models

Job description

Location: San Francisco, CA | Schedule: Full-time, on-site/hybrid executive role | Compensation: Market-based base salary plus performance bonus and long-term equity incentive program, commensurate with experience

Overview

A growing enterprise SaaS company serving Fortune 500 customers is seeking an accomplished Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead its technology vision, engineering organization, AI strategy, and product architecture. This is a strategic, hands-on executive role for a leader who can scale high-performing engineering teams while personally driving the delivery of innovative, AI-enabled software solutions.

What you'll do

• Own the technology vision, engineering organization, AI strategy, and product architecture
• Scale and lead high-performing engineering teams
• Personally drive the shipping of AI capabilities into production code
• Guide model selection and integration across GPT, Claude, Gemini, and open-source models
• Oversee implementation of RAG pipelines, vector databases, and AI agents/MCP frameworks
• Manage tokenization and token cost considerations across AI implementations
• Apply prompt engineering best practices across product development
• Collaborate cross-functionally with executive leadership and other departments

Required qualifications

• Prior experience as a Sr. Principal Architect or CTO-level technical leader
• 8-12 years of experience in modern SaaS environments (not necessarily 25+ years)
• Track record of building 3+ successful SaaS products
• Personal experience shipping AI into production code (not just AI strategy or governance)
• Deep understanding of tokenization/token costs
• Deep understanding of model selection (GPT, Claude, Gemini, open-source models)
• Deep understanding of prompt engineering
• Deep understanding of RAG
• Deep understanding of vector databases
• Deep understanding of AI agents/MCP
• Excellent executive leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline required

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with SMB, dealer networks, or marketing services is a plus
• Experience with MarTech, Through-Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA), Co-op Fund Management, Market Development Funds (MDF), SPIFFs, Partner Relationship Management (PRM), incentives, rebates, and channel marketing solutions is highly desirable
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field preferred

Compensation and benefits

• Highly competitive compensation package including a market-based base salary
• Attractive performance bonus
• Opportunity to participate in a long-term equity incentive program
• Compensation commensurate with experience, leadership capability, and technical expertise

Why this role

This is an opportunity to lead technology and AI strategy for a growing enterprise SaaS company serving Fortune 500 customers, with a highly competitive compensation package including base salary, performance bonus, and long-term equity.