CTO

Alfa AI; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

ALFA AI GmbH, San Francisco, invites an accomplished Chief Technology Officer to shape the technical future of a high-growth platform. You will own the technology roadmap, architecture, and engineering organisation in a hybrid SF setting with executive peers.

You will partner with the C-suite and investors to align innovation with business milestones, drive scalable distributed systems, and establish engineering practices that enable rapid product delivery while maintaining resilience.

Qualifications

• Proven executive-level leadership experience directing engineering in growth environments.
• Experience mentoring directors and scaling engineering teams.
• Deep expertise in enterprise architecture and evaluating new tech.
• Strong background in distributed systems, cloud architecture, and microservices.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the complete technology strategy and multi-year roadmap.
• Build, mentor, and lead high-performing engineering teams with clear org design.
• Architect scalable distributed systems and cloud infrastructure for high availability.
• Collaborate with C-suite, board, and investors to align tech with business milestones.
• Set and enforce strict standards for software delivery, security, and reliability.

Skills

Executive leadership

Mentoring directors

Enterprise architecture

Distributed systems

Cloud architecture

Stakeholder management

Job description

Are you an executive technology leader ready to shape the future of a high-growth platform from the ground up? Alfa AI is recruiting a Chief Technology Officer on behalf of a client based in San Francisco. Alfa AI delivers AI-powered recruitment solutions to help modern businesses find top talent faster, and we are partnering with our client to secure an exceptional technical visionary.

In this permanent, full-time role, you will take full ownership of the overarching technical roadmap, systems architecture, and engineering organisation. Operating in a hybrid working arrangement in San Francisco, you will partner directly with the executive team to align technological innovation with strategic commercial objectives, ensuring the engineering function is built for scale, performance, and long-term resilience. Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, articulate, and execute the complete technology strategy, enterprise architecture, and multi-year technical roadmap.
• Build, mentor, and lead high-performing engineering teams, establishing clear organisational design and robust engineering practices.
• Architect and oversee modern, highly scalable distributed systems and cloud infrastructure to ensure high availability and platform performance.
• Collaborate closely with C-suite peers, board members, and external investors to align engineering initiatives with core product and business milestones.
• Champion technical excellence, setting rigorous standards for software delivery, microservices architecture, and system security.

Required Skills & Experience

• Proven executive-level leadership experience as a CTO, VP of Engineering, or Head of Engineering, with a strong background in mentoring directors and scaling teams.
• Demonstrated mastery in enterprise architecture, technology evaluation, innovation strategy, and driving large-scale technical roadmaps.
• Deep technical expertise in software architecture, distributed systems design, cloud architecture, microservices, and high-availability platforms.
• Extensive experience in executive stakeholder management, cross-functional collaboration, board reporting, and investor relations.
• Track record of aligning technical vision with product strategy to support robust organizational growth.

Nice-to-have

• Experience managing technical budgets, P&L allocation, and resource forecasting.
• Practical exposure to vendor negotiations, procurement, and third-party software evaluations.

What We Offer / Why Join

This is an opportunity to lead the end-to-end technology vision and build out an engineering organisation in the heart of San Francisco. You will hold a critical seat at the executive table, directly influencing core product direction, architecting scalable platforms, and driving technological decisions that shape the future of the business.