Chief Technology Officer

Truno•Lubbock, TX

About The Position

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is a strategic executive leader who drives the company's technology vision, innovation and execution to accelerate business growth, enhance retailer success and generate sustainable revenue. Reporting directory to the CEO, the CTO owns the full P&L for the technology and engineering organization, treating it as a high-performing business unit that delivers both internal efficiency and external customer value through world-class retail technology solutions. The CTO serves as the bridge between cutting-edge technology and commercial outcomes. The CTO will lead engineering, architecture and product development while acting as the "chief technical sales engineer". This includes championing customer software development, margin management, digital commerce, risk management and integrated solutions in customer engagements, pre-sales technical leadership, proof-of-concepts and strategic retailer partnerships. The role demands a modern blend of deep technical expertise, business acumen, financial accountability and customer-facing influence to position TRUNO as the trusted leader in secure, stable and innovative retail technology.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, architecture and technical leadership, with at least 6+ years in executive or director-level roles.
Proven track record of owning or heavily influencing a technology P&L, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, driving cost reductions (e.g., cloud migrations achieving 30%+ savings) and delivering measurable ROI.
Experience building and scaling engineering organizations in a product-centric, customer-facing technology company (retail tech, SaaS, or enterprise software preferred).
Demonstrated success as a technical leader in pre-sales/sales engineering roles, including architecting solutions, leading customer POCs and contributing to revenue growth.
Hands-on background in designing and delivering scalable, high-availability systems (e.g., POS integrations, cloud platforms serving thousands of locations).
Track record of implementing modern DevOps pipelines, CI/CD and agile practices that accelerated delivery velocity and quality.
Experience aligning technology roadmaps with aggressive business growth strategies in competitive markets.
Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud – Professional/Architect level).
Cybersecurity credentials (CISSP, CISM or equivalent).
Agile/Project Management (PMP, SAFe or Scrum).
Strong business acumen with the ability to translate technical decisions into financial outcomes, revenue impact and competitive advantage.
Exceptional leadership and people management skills, with experience building diverse, high-output teams.
Deep expertise in modern technology stacks: cloud-native architectures, AI/ML applications, cybersecurity, DevOps and retail-specific integrations (POS, data analytics, digital commerce).
Strategic mindset combined with pragmatic execution able to balance innovation with operational excellence and fiscal discipline.
Outstanding communication and influence skills: able to engage technical teams, C-suite executives, investors and retail customers with clarity and credibility.
Customer-centric orientation with a passion for enabling retailer success in a fast-evolving industry

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or MBA, or equivalent advanced business education (strongly preferred).

Responsibilities

Define and execute TRUNO's long-term technology vision and multi-year roadmap, ensuring alignment with revenue targets, market expansion and retailer profitability goals.
Own the technology organization's P&L, including budgeting, cost optimization (e.g., cloud spend, headcount efficiency), resource allocation, ROI analysis and profitability metrics for engineering and R&D investments.
Lead all aspects of software engineering, systems architecture, DevOps and technical product development to deliver scalable, secure and innovative solutions for grocery and retail environments.
Drive digital transformation initiatives, including AI/ML integration (e.g., predictive analytics for margin management, intelligent risk detection, personalized digital commerce), cloud-native modernization and hyper-automation to reduce total cost of ownership and enhance retailer operations.
Act as chief technical sales engineer: Provide executive-level technical leadership in sales cycles, conduct deep-dive product demonstrations, architect customized solutions, lead proof-of-value engagements and collaborate with sales, product and customer success teams to close deals and expand wallet share.
Evaluate and prioritize emerging technologies (AI, generative AI, edge computing, IoT for retail, advanced cybersecurity to create competitive differentiation and new revenue streams.
Build, scale and inspire high-performing engineering teams, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability and best-in-class practices in agile/DevOps, secure SDLC and continuous delivery.
Ensure robust, high-availability infrastructure with strong cybersecurity, compliance and disaster recovery to support 13,000+ customer sites with 24x7 reliability.
Partner closely with the CEO, CFO, product leadership, sales and investors to align technology investments with business strategy, growth initiatives and profitability.
Champion innovation that directly impacts retailer outcomes including lower TCO, improved customer experience, operational efficiency and revenue growth. Introduce internal efficiencies that scale TRUNO's service delivery.