Chief Technology Officer (CTO) - Remote

Placements24; Gauteng; Hybrid; ZAR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development budget

Home office stipend

Remote-first culture

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Chief Technology Officer to lead our fully remote FinTech startup. You will set the technology vision, strategy, and roadmap, overseeing engineering, product development, IT operations, and cybersecurity across a distributed team.

You will scale the platform, drive innovation, enforce robust coding standards, and partner with other executives to shape the business trajectory, while championing security and reliability in a remote-first culture.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in software engineering with leadership roles.
• 5+ years in CTO or VP Eng with remote teams.
• Experience leading and scaling engineering teams in a remote-first environment.
• Strong knowledge of modern software architecture, cloud computing, microservices, and DevOps practices.

Responsibilities

• Define technology vision, strategy, and roadmap.
• Lead engineering, product, and IT operations teams remotely.
• Oversee architecture, development, deployment, and maintenance of the platform.
• Ensure security, scalability, reliability, and performance of systems.
• Manage technology budget, resources, and vendor relationships.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and trends.
• Lead recruitment, retention, and development of top engineering talent.
• Collaborate with executives to drive product strategy and business growth.
• Establish robust coding standards, processes, and QA practices.
• Serve as the primary technical spokesperson for the company.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Remote team leadership

Education

Master's or PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Microservices

DevOps

Job description

About the Role

Our client, an innovative and fast-growing FinTech startup, is seeking a visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to join their fully remote team. This is a critical executive role responsible for setting the technological vision, strategy, and roadmap for the company. The CTO will lead all aspects of technology development, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and IT operations. This is a remote-first position, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere, but requiring strong self-discipline and proactive communication. The successful candidate will be instrumental in scaling our client's platform, driving technological innovation, and ensuring the security and reliability of our systems. The role demands a leader capable of managing distributed teams and fostering a collaborative, high-performance engineering culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the company's overall technology vision, strategy, and roadmap, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Lead and manage all engineering, product development, and IT operations teams, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.
• Oversee the architecture, development, deployment, and maintenance of the company's software platform and infrastructure.
• Ensure the security, scalability, reliability, and performance of all technology systems.
• Manage the technology budget, resource allocation, and vendor relationships effectively.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, identifying opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Lead the recruitment, retention, and professional development of top engineering talent.
• Collaborate with other executives to drive product strategy and business growth.
• Establish and enforce robust coding standards, development processes, and quality assurance practices.
• Serve as the primary technical spokesperson for the company, internally and externally.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering and technology leadership roles, with at least 5 years in a CTO or VP of Engineering position.
• Proven experience leading and scaling engineering teams in a remote-first environment.
• Deep understanding of modern software architecture, cloud computing (AWS, Azure, GCP), microservices, and DevOps practices.
• Experience in FinTech, cybersecurity, and data management is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of agile development methodologies and product management.
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams.
• Experience managing significant technology budgets and vendor contracts.
• Proven ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Benefits

• Our client offers a highly competitive compensation package, including a top-tier salary, significant performance-based equity, and comprehensive benefits.
• This includes premium health, dental, and vision insurance, a generous retirement savings plan, and a flexible spending account.
• We provide generous paid time off, parental leave, and a dedicated budget for professional development, including conferences and online courses.
• As a remote-first company, we prioritize work-life balance and offer a stipend for home office setup.
• This is a unique opportunity to shape the technological future of a groundbreaking FinTech company from anywhere in the world.