Open · independent contractor

Data Science & Engineering Experts, Inc.; United States; Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Success-based cash fees

Job summary

Data Science & Engineering Experts, Inc. is seeking a fractional Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to own the technology function end to end. This 1099 engagement is remote, US-based, and equity-driven, with success-based cash fees tied to closed business.

The role requires a founder-caliber technology leader who can align architecture, security, and delivery with revenue goals. You will own platform architecture for PrivateStack, lead a lean engineering team, ensure regulatory-compliance in

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software engineering and technology leadership.
• Experience designing, building, operating secure multi-tenant SaaS/platforms.
• Hands-on with modern cloud plus data platforms.
• Experience with enterprise or regulated customers, preferably FI.
• Willing to engage as a 1099 independent contractor with equity plus success-fee.

Responsibilities

• Own the technology function end to end for PrivateStack and related assets.
• Define and own the technical roadmap and architecture with the CEO.
• Build and lead a lean, senior engineering bench and establish secure SDLC standards.
• Design cloud/data architectures aligned with regulated-FI expectations and compliance.
• Partner with the CEO on pre-sales, solutions feasibility, and delivery risk.

Job description

Fractional Chief Technology Officer (CTO) | DSESkip to contentDDSE-Experts/incFederalScope a call →§ Careers · open engagement·independent contractor · remote, US-based# Fractional *Chief Technology Officer*Independent contractorEquity + success-feeFractionalRemote · US-basedFounding tech & product executive**DSE's first dedicated technology and product executive, a founding-caliber, part-time executive engagement reporting to the CEO, not an architecture-review seat or an advisory role.** This is an operating role: it owns the technology function end to end, technology strategy, platform architecture, engineering leadership, and execution across PrivateStack, internal systems, and supporting technical assets.Compensation is tied to commercial success: an equity grant plus success-based cash fees tied to closed, paid business. There is no fixed base salary or immediate fixed monthly retainer.Apply for this engagement →written services agreement · 1099 independent contractor · first call is 30 min with the CEO§ Please read first·engagement classification**This posting describes an independent contractor engagement, not an offer of employment.** The selected individual will enter into a written services agreement with DSE as a self-employed independent contractor (1099). No employer-employee relationship, base salary, or employee benefits are created by this posting or any subsequent agreement.§ About DSE·where this technology function sits## A senior-only boutique with a real *technology estate*Technology is currently driven directly by the CEO. This engagement is DSE's first dedicated technology and product executive.Data Science & Engineering Experts, Inc. ("DSE") is a senior-only boutique consultancy and Delaware C-corp that prepares US regulated financial institutions (banks, credit unions, insurers, broker-dealers, RIAs, and fintechs) for AI governance, security, and regulatory compliance across NIST AI RMF, NIST CSF 2.0, ISO/IEC 42001, the EU AI Act, SR 11-7 model risk management, GLBA, NYDFS Part 500, SEC Reg S-P, and CCPA/CPRA. DSE's practitioners run hands-on AI security red-teaming and deliver audit-readiness engagements. DSE prepares clients for audit; it does not certify.Beyond consulting, DSE is active in **federal contracting**, operates **PrivateStack** (a private multi-model LLM SaaS platform), and authors open-source IP, including mcp-warden and conclave. The company's technology estate is **central to both client delivery and product growth**, and this engagement owns and leads the technology function from day one.§ The mandate·own the function end to end## A founding technology role, *not an advisory seat*Four pillars run through the engagement, all pointed at the same outcome: a secure, scalable technology function that grows revenue, delivery capability, and long-term enterprise value.**Product & platform ownership.** Define and own the technical roadmap and architecture for PrivateStack and the related technical assets that support DSE's AI governance, security, and compliance services.**Engineering leadership.** Build and lead a lean, senior-oriented engineering capability, and establish the standards for software quality, delivery, and operational discipline.**Security, compliance & reliability.** Design and maintain a technical environment aligned with the expectations of regulated financial institutions and federal customers.**Commercial partnership & equity stake.** Operate as a commercial partner to the CEO, aligning technical decisions with revenue, delivery capability, and long-term enterprise value. This is a technology owner's stake, with the mindset and urgency that come with it.§ Key responsibilities·five surfaces## What the engagement *owns*The role owns the technology function end to end. In practice that breaks down into five surfaces.a · Product & platform architecture### Own the platform end to endOwn end-to-end PrivateStack architecture as a private multi-model LLM SaaS for regulated institutions, tenant isolation, data boundaries, observability, logging, and auditability; design secure, scalable patterns that support consulting delivery (AI red-teaming environments, evidence-generation workflows, reusable delivery components); develop and maintain the platform and technology roadmap with the CEO, aligned to revenue and delivery commitments; select, standardize, and periodically reassess core platforms across cloud, data, AI/LLM infrastructure, CI/CD, and observability; and document architectural decisions defensibly for client IT, security, risk, and audit stakeholders.b · Engineering leadership & delivery### Build a lean, senior benchBuild and manage a small, senior-leaning engineering bench (contractors, firms, and future internal hires); establish standards for secure software development, code quality, testing, deployment, change management, and incident response; implement lightweight-but-real delivery discipline (backlog, release planning, prioritization, post-incident review); stay hands-on enough to review designs, unblock critical issues, and make build-vs-buy-vs-partner calls; and track delivery metrics, deployment cadence, cycle time, change failure rate, and time to restore.c · Security, compliance & infrastructure### Build for regulated buyersDesign and maintain cloud and data architectures consistent with regulated-FI expectations, access control, secrets management, key management, logging, backup, recovery, and environment segmentation; support technical alignment with NIST CSF 2.0, NIST AI RMF, privacy obligations, and contract-driven control commitments; ensure technical controls and documentation support DSE's contractual commitments on privacy, data handling, audit support, and security representations; establish evidence-generation (config baselines, deployment records, access logs, vulnerability-management artifacts) for client reviews and audits; and evaluate and integrate security tooling for internal posture and for PrivateStack.d · Commercial & client-facing enablement### Make technology sellPartner with the CEO in pre-sales and late-stage opportunities where platform architecture, integration, security posture, and delivery feasibility affect outcomes; translate complex technical concepts into business language for procurement, IT, security, compliance, and risk; advise on pricing, scoping, solution feasibility, and delivery risk for the technical portions of proposals, SOWs, and client discussions; prioritize roadmap items that support near-term revenue, retention, renewals, and growth; and provide technical support on federal and public-sector opportunities where architecture, hosting models, or compliance expectations affect competitiveness.e · Internal platforms & data### Automate the firmDesign pragmatic internal data and analytics infrastructure supporting delivery, reporting, automation, and product telemetry; standardize dev, staging, and prod environments to balance iteration speed with security and reliability; ensure OSS components, including DSE-authored projects, are integrated supportably and license-aware; and identify and implement automation that reduces manual work for the CEO and the consulting team (environment setup, reporting workflows, evidence packaging).§ Qualifications·capability-based## Who is *immediately effective*Required qualifications are non-negotiable; preferred qualifications shorten the ramp.Required### Non-negotiable* **10+ years in software engineering and technology leadership**, including 3–5+ years in a senior technology-leadership role (CTO, VP Engineering, Head of Engineering, or equivalent).* Demonstrated experience designing, building, and operating **secure, multi-tenant SaaS / platform** solutions, architecture across the application, data, API, identity, and infrastructure layers.* Hands-on with **modern cloud** (AWS, Azure, or GCP) plus data platforms and contemporary AI/LLM-adjacent tooling.* Experience supporting **enterprise or regulated customers**, preferably regulated financial institutions or similarly control-driven environments.* Ability to operate as a **near-solo technology function**, set priorities, make architectural decisions, and execute without a large internal team.* Willing to engage as a **1099 independent contractor on an equity-plus-success-fee basis**, with no guaranteed base salary or immediate fixed monthly retainer.Preferred### Shortens the ramp* **Building or leading LLM, AI, or data platforms** in privacy-sensitive or regulated environments.* **Familiarity with AI governance and risk concepts**. NIST AI RMF, model-risk thinking, or similar frameworks.* **Supporting federal / public-sector work**, cloud deployment constraints, customer security expectations, and procurement-driven technical requirements.* **Prior startup, boutique consultancy, or fractional CTO experience** building a technology function from an early stage.* **Strong grounding in secure software development**, with close collaboration with security, risk, and compliance stakeholders.§ Screening·answer these in your first note## Four questions that *tell us fast*These four questions are how we screen. A clear yes, with specifics, moves the conversation forward quickly.Leadership track recordDo you have 10+ years in software engineering, including 3+ years in a senior technology-leadership role (CTO, VP Engineering, or Head of Engineering) at a SaaS, data, or infrastructure company?Platform ownershipHave you personally led the design and operation of a secure, multi-tenant cloud platform (architecture, security, observability, and reliability) serving enterprise or regulated customers?Regulated-buyer experienceHave you worked directly with regulated financial institutions or similarly regulated industries, engaging their technology, security, and risk teams on architecture and security?Compensation-model fitAre you willing to engage as a 1099, part-time fractional CTO with no guaranteed base salary or fixed monthly retainer, compensated primarily through equity plus success-based fees tied to closed, paid business?§ Compensation·structure, disclosed in good faith## No base salary. *A real stake instead.*Compensation is disclosed as a structure, not a number. All terms are negotiated individually and set in a written services agreement.**Compensation:** This is a 1099 independent contractor engagement with **no fixed base salary or immediate fixed monthly retainer**. Compensation consists of: (1) an **equity grant** in DSE (subject to vesting and Board approval, with the range negotiated individually); and (2) **success-based cash fees tied to closed, paid business**. All terms are negotiated individually and memorialized in a written services agreement. No compensation is earned until a signed agreement is in place.Component 1 · Equity### Equity grantAn equity stake in DSE, subject to a vesting schedule and Board approval. The grant is documented in a board resolution and reflected in the cap table. The size of the grant is negotiated individually in the services agreement.Component 2 · Success fee### Success-based cash feesSuccess-based cash fees tied to closed, paid business, paid as DSE collects revenue, never on signature alone. The rate and qualifying terms are negotiated individually in the services agreement.Commitment & logisticsPart-time and fractional, **fully remote** and open to applicants based in the United States. The engagement is sized to a senior operator who can own the technology function without a large internal team.Engagement classificationIndependent contractor (1099). DSE does not provide employee benefits. The engagement is governed by a written services agreement executed before commencement; nothing is earned until that agreement is signed.§ How to engage·direct, no recruiter screen## Apply for the *engagement*This is an equity-plus-success-fee founding technology engagement, not a paid-retainer relationship. The right candidate is motivated by a meaningful stake and a path to cash as DSE grows.Send a brief introduction. Please include: (1) a short note on why DSE's market, AI governance and security for regulated financial institutions, fits your background; (2) two or three representative platforms or systems you personally architected and operated, ideally secure multi-tenant SaaS for enterprise or regulated customers; and (3) confirmation of your willingness to engage as a 1099, part-time fractional CTO with equity upside and no base salary. A résumé or LinkedIn profile is welcome but not required in the first message. First conversations are 30 minutes with the CEO, direct, no committee, no recruiter screen.Apply by email →[e-mail] · subject line: Fractional CTO. [Your Name]By submitting your information, you acknowledge that DSE will process your personal data for recruiting and evaluation purposes in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. **Reasonable accommodation:** if you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or engagement-inquiry process, please contact [e-mail]. Any background checks would occur later in the process and in compliance with applicable fair-chance laws.