CTO

Dormont Manufacturing Co; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Skyways, based in Austin, TX, is seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the technical vision for their autonomous aerial vehicles. With a strong backing and a mission to revolutionize air transportation, this role offers the opportunity to scale engineering practices and mentor dedicated teams.

The ideal candidate will have over 15 years in technical leadership, specifically in aerospace or autonomous systems. If you're ready to influence the future of aviation, apply now!

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive technical leadership in aerospace or autonomous systems.
• Experience overseeing engineering teams from prototype to mass production.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical strategy for autonomous aerial vehicles.
• Lead and mentor teams through production and certification.
• Be the technical face of the company to key stakeholders.

Skills

Technical leadership

Mentorship

Aerospace engineering

Systems engineering

AI/Autonomy

Job description

At Skyways, we are building a new form of air transportation—what some call the flying car. Backed by fresh funding and a major STRATFI contract from the U.S. Air Force, we’re uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of aviation innovation. Our fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a breakthrough opportunity to move goods—and soon, people—in ways that are faster, safer, and more efficient than ever before. Unlike anyone else in the industry, our strategy blends rapid iteration with real-world deployment, and it’s already paying off.

Skyways is a fast-growing startup based in Austin, TX, supported by top Silicon Valley investors including Y Combinator. Though we’re early-stage, our vehicles are already in production and in the hands of paying commercial customers (see here and here). With robust financial backing and government partnerships accelerating our momentum, there’s never been a better time to join us and help build the future of transportation!

The Opportunity

Skyways is at a critical inflection point, scaling from early production to mass deployment of autonomous aerial vehicles. This is your chance to revolutionize air transportation as our CTO, defining the technical vision and building a world-class engineering organization. This isn’t just a job; it’s a once-in-a-career opportunity to shape the future of autonomous aviation.

What You’ll Do:

• Define and execute the comprehensive technical strategy for our autonomous aerial vehicles.
• Scale the engineering organization across multi-disciplinary functions.
• Lead, mentor, and guide our teams from R&D through mass production and certification.
• Act as a critical decision-maker, unblocking projects to ensure we move fast and deliver.
• Be the technical face of the company to key customers and investors.
• Provide high-level engineering feature development roadmaps.

What You’ll Bring:

• 15+ years of progressive technical leadership, with 5+ years in a senior executive role overseeing multiple engineering disciplines in aerospace or autonomous systems.
• Demonstrated experience taking a product from prototype to mass production, specifically with complex hardware products and hardware-centric teams.
• Deep expertise across core engineering disciplines relevant to autonomous aviation (Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Software, AI/Autonomy, Systems).
• Ability to build, mentor, and inspire high-performing teams in a fast-paced, startup environment.

Bonus Points:

• Prior CTO experience at a successful hardware startup.
• Direct experience with eVTOL or “flying car” development.

Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!

Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.