Chief Technology Officer

ShipperHQ•Austin, TX

About The Position

ShipperHQ is looking for a visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the technical strategy, engineering organization, and product direction for our rapidly growing SaaS platform. This executive leadership role is responsible for defining the long-term technology vision, aligning engineering execution with business objectives, and driving innovation across our products. Working closely with the CEO, Chief Product Officer, and executive leadership team, the CTO will ensure our technology investments support company strategy while fostering a high-performing engineering culture. This role combines strategic thinking with strong technical leadership, guiding architectural decisions, product innovation, engineering roadmaps, and organizational growth. The ideal candidate is a technology leader who thrives in fast-paced environments, can balance long-term vision with day-to-day execution, and is passionate about building scalable products, developing engineering organizations, and leveraging emerging technologies, including AI, to create a competitive advantage.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive software engineering experience with significant leadership experience in SaaS organizations
Proven experience leading engineering organizations through growth and scale
Experience serving as a CTO, VP of Engineering, or other senior technology executive
Strong background designing and delivering modern cloud-based SaaS platforms
Deep understanding of software architecture, distributed systems, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and modern engineering practices
Experience building and executing multi-quarter technology roadmaps
Demonstrated success partnering closely with Product leadership to define strategy and prioritize investments
Strong understanding of Agile software development methodologies and engineering operations
Experience leading organizational planning, engineering capacity planning, and technical strategy
Strong business acumen with the ability to balance technical decisions against customer and commercial priorities
Experience leveraging AI technologies to improve products, engineering productivity, or business operations
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence executives, technical teams, customers, and partners
Proven ability to build high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (Master's degree preferred)

Nice To Haves

Strategic thinker who can balance long-term vision with practical execution
Inspiring leader who builds trust and develops strong technical teams
Customer-focused mindset with a passion for solving complex business problems
Collaborative executive who works effectively across departments
Comfortable making decisions in a fast-moving, high-growth environment
Strong technical curiosity with a passion for emerging technologies and continuous innovation
High ownership mentality with a bias toward action and results
Passion for building products that delight customers and drive business growth

Responsibilities

Define and execute the company's long-term technology and engineering strategy
Develop engineering roadmaps that align with product strategy and business objectives
Partner with the Chief Product Officer to shape the product vision and roadmap
Ensure engineering priorities are aligned across Product, Customer Success, Sales, and Operations
Provide executive-level technical leadership and strategic guidance across the business
Drive architectural decisions that support scalability, security, reliability, and performance
Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovations that strengthen the company's competitive position
Champion AI-first thinking and identify opportunities to leverage AI across products and internal operations
Guide engineering standards, development practices, and technical excellence across the organization
Oversee engineering capacity planning, organizational design, and long-term team structure
Partner with engineering leadership to ensure successful execution of product roadmaps and delivery goals
Provide strategic oversight for release planning, roadmap execution, and technical priorities
Collaborate with the Chief Architect on technical direction, platform evolution, and major architectural initiatives
Partner with executive leadership on company strategy, planning, and operational initiatives
Represent technology and product strategy with customers, partners, vendors, and key stakeholders
Provide coaching, mentorship, and leadership to senior engineering leaders while fostering a culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement