Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Artificial Intelligence (AI) Required, Work From Home

Next Step Systems•San Francisco, CA

3d•$180,000 - $225,000•Remote

About The Position

We are looking for a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who can think clearly about systems, make strong technical decisions, and help build the engineering organization from the ground up. The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will be part of founding team to shape the technical direction of the company, while helping build a strong engineering team across the globe. This position is 100% Remote.

Requirements

Strong technical foundation in system architecture, large-scale systems, distributed architecture.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) experience required.
Ability to reason clearly about complex systems and make pragmatic technical decisions.
Experience building or leading high-performing engineering teams.
Strong judgment on technical trade-offs and engineering priorities.
Comfortable operating in early-stage environments with high ambiguity.
Clear communication and ability to align teams.

Nice To Haves

We are particularly interested in candidates who enjoy building teams, superior products and shaping engineering organizations.

Responsibilities

Define the long-term architecture for AI systems, infrastructure, and developer platform.
Evaluate trade-offs between speed of iteration and long-term system design.
Ensure systems are designed for scalability, reliability, and long-term evolution.
Guide key decisions across model integration, data pipelines, distributed systems, and product architecture.
Work with engineers to translate product direction into clear technical execution.
Help structure engineering workstreams and keep teams aligned on priorities.
Maintain high engineering standards while keeping the team focused on shipping.
Establish engineering culture, development practices, and technical standards across the company.
Build and scale a world-class engineering team across key talent hubs including China and US.
Identify strong technical leaders and help build a high-quality engineering organization.
Define hiring standards and interview processes to maintain a high engineering bar.
Work closely with product, research, and leadership teams.
Ensure technical workstreams move forward smoothly across teams and locations.
Help resolve cross-team technical and execution challenges.