CTO

Constellation Payments

About The Position

Job Summary The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will report to the President. This position requires an experienced IT professional who has a demonstrated ability to manage a hands-on technical team, third-party service providers, hosting facilities, and closely coordinate with business and operations teams in support of the company’s production infrastructure and regulatory compliance. Our Chief Technology Officer is not just technology expert, but a visionary leader with a proven track record in implementing cutting-edge technology and ensure the technical excellence and strategic development of your organization. The role requires extensive hands-on knowledge of AWS and outsourced environments. The role also requires detailed understanding of payment processing and the related operational and regulatory regimes. The CTO will also be responsible for defining and executing the company’s Artificial Intelligence strategy, including the responsible adoption of machine learning, generative AI, and automation to improve product capabilities, operational efficiency, risk management, customer experience, and developer productivity. This role requires strong judgment around where AI creates durable business value versus experimentation, with a focus on secure, compliant, and scalable implementation in regulated payment environments.

Requirements

Robust Experience: 10+ years in application development Java), 5+ years in AWS cloud hosting, 5+ years in payment processing, and 5+ years in managerial roles.
Functional & Technical Expertise: Proficiency in Postgres, Agile, SDLC, git code management (GitHub a plus).
Compliance: Understand PCI 4.0 compliance requirements and provide leadership during annual audits.
Strategic Communication: Exceptional communication skills with a knack for making complex technical concepts understandable for diverse audiences.
Performance Metrics Mastery: Experience in setting and managing KPIs, SLAs, and metrics for mission critical payment websites.

Nice To Haves

Advanced Technologies: Knowledge in Microservices, Docker Containers, alternate databases (Aurora, Postgres, Redshift, ElasticSearch, Redis), CI/CD Pipelines, CDK, and Linux.
Change Management: Experience in leading and adapting to organizational changes.

Responsibilities

Managing Vision and Purpose: Inspire a talented team, foster a culture of innovation, and guiding the team towards achieving technological excellence that aligns with business goals.
Hands-On Involvement: Directly engage hands-on in the code and R&D processes to provide a clear vision and strategy for the organization including reviewing and guiding AI/ML architectures, model integration, and production deployment patterns.
Lead efforts to optimize technology solutions for scalability, performance, and reliability.
Process and Project Management: Implement and oversee clear processes, day-to-day workflows, annual development plans, ensuring strategic alignment with business objectives and commitment to delivering innovative solutions.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives, implementing processes and tools to enhance overall technology efficiency.
Strategic Agility: Identify and evaluate emerging technologies and trends within the payments space, proposing innovative solutions to enhance organizational capabilities.
Interdepartmental Collaboration: Work closely with different departments to integrate customer feedback into development strategies, maintaining a customer-centric approach in all innovations.
Risk Management & Decision Quality: Navigate through technological and business challenges, making informed decisions that balance innovation and risk.
Building Effective Teams: Participate in the recruitment process to build a capable, diverse team, enhancing the company's technological capabilities.
Manage the R&D Budget: Work closely with senior leadership to manage the R&D budget to maximize efficiency, growth, and profitability.
Clear Communication: Articulate complex technical strategies to senior leadership and various stakeholders, ensuring alignment and understanding across all levels of the organization.
Learning on the Fly & Adaptability: Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner. Champion continuous improvement and learning, keeping abreast of technological advancements and industry trends.
Mentorship & Developing Direct Reports: Cultivate a supportive environment that encourages learning, resilience, and growth among team members.
AI: Lead the implementation of AI-enabled features (e.g., intelligent routing, anomaly detection, reconciliation automation, LLM-based support tools) while ensuring explainability, auditability, and compliance.
Data: Oversee the data foundation required for AI success (data quality, pipelines, observability, access controls).