Founding Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Socket.dev; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 250,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Modern Government Solutions (MGS) is seeking a Founding Chief Technology Officer for a stealth defense technology partner. This remote-first executive role carries significant equity and broad influence over the technical direction as the company scales from concept to production.

You will lead hardware, sensing, AI/ML, robotics, and embedded engineering across a multidisciplinary team to deliver rugged, mission-ready systems for national security customers.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of hands-on engineering leadership, including taking hardware products from concept through production.
• Deep expertise across machine learning and edge AI, robotics or autonomous systems, and embedded platforms.

Responsibilities

• Define technology vision and multi-year strategy with executives.
• Lead model development and MLOps for edge inference.
• Direct development of autonomous and embedded systems in challenging environments.
• Oversee hardware, electrical, mechanical, embedded, and system engineering testing.
• Own prototype-to-production transitions, manufacturability and supply-chain readiness.
• Build and nurture a high-performing, mission-focused engineering culture.

Skills

Engineering leadership

ML & edge AI

Robotics / Autonomy

Embedded platforms

Manufacturing scaling

Education

Advanced engineering/CS/robotics degree

Job description

Role Title: Founding Chief Technology Officer

Location: Remote-first (U.S.)

Job Type: Full-time

Clearance Required: U.S. Citizenship & Top Secret clearance eligibility required

Modern Government Solutions (MGS) is conducting a confidential executive search on behalf of a venture-backed defense technology partner seeking its Founding Chief Technology Officer. The client's identity is withheld at this stage and will be shared with qualified, pre-screened candidates under a non-disclosure agreement. All inquiries are handled discreetly through MGS.

About the Opportunity

Our client is an early-stage, venture-backed company building advanced hardware, sensing, and autonomous systems for defense and national security customers. In a short time the company has moved from concept to field-validated technology, secured early government agreements, and attracted institutional investment. The next phase is about converting proven prototypes into rugged, mission-ready products at production scale, and that mission defines this role.

This is a founding executive seat with meaningful equity and outsized influence over the company's technical direction. It is a builder's role, not a research role: you will lead the teams that design, prototype, manufacture, deploy, and continuously improve products that protect the people who use them.

What You Will Own

• Technology vision & roadmap. Partner with the CEO and COO to translate customer and operational needs into a multi-year technology strategy, and build the engineering organization to deliver it.
• AI/ML and edge AI. Lead model development and MLOps for inference that runs on low-power hardware, offline and in degraded environments; not cloud-dependent enterprise AI.
• Robotics & autonomy. Direct development of autonomous and embedded systems that operate in GPS-denied and communications-denied conditions.
• Hardware & embedded engineering. Oversee electrical, mechanical, embedded, and systems engineering through ruggedization and environmental (MIL-STD-class) testing.
• Prototype-to-production. Own the transition from prototype to scalable manufacturing; design for manufacturability, supply-chain qualification, quality and production-test systems, and production scale-up.
• Engineering leadership & culture. Recruit and develop an elite, multidisciplinary engineering team, and set an execution culture built on speed, ownership, and mission focus.

What We're Looking For

• 15+ years of hands-on engineering leadership, including taking hardware products from concept through production. Military or aerospace systems experience is a strong plus.
• Deep, current expertise across machine learning and edge AI, robotics or autonomous systems, and embedded platforms; a leader equally at home in the machine shop and the boardroom.
• A track record of scaling: standing up manufacturing or contract-manufacturing at volume, and building an engineering organization from a handful of people to twenty-plus who would follow you again.
• Builder's temperament: comfortable making decisions with incomplete information, hands-on in early-stage development, and driven by mission over title.
• S. citizenship required, with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance (TS/SCI eligibility preferred; an active clearance is a plus), due to federal contract and export-control (ITAR) obligations.
• Advanced degree in engineering, computer science, robotics, physics, or a related field preferred - though a record of shipped products outweighs academic credentials.

Location, Compensation & Eligibility

• Location: Remote-first within the U.S., with periodic travel to customer sites and company engagements. Openness to relocation over a multi-year horizon is expected as the company scales its operations.
• Compensation: Competitive executive salary, meaningful founding equity, performance-based incentives, and comprehensive benefits.
• Eligibility: U.S. citizenship is required. The client is an equal-opportunity employer; employment decisions are made on the basis of merit and mission fit.