Chief Technology Officer Job Description Template

The chief technology officer owns technology strategy and the engineering organization that delivers it. The scope varies enormously by company stage: at an early stage business the role is hands on and includes writing code, while at scale it becomes architecture, organization and external representation. What stays constant is accountability for whether the technology can support where the business intends to go.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

• Own technology strategy and major architectural direction
• Lead the engineering organization and its leadership
• Make build, buy and partner decisions at a strategic level
• Own technical risk including security, reliability and scalability
• Represent technology to the board, investors and customers
• Build and develop senior technical leadership
• Own the technology budget and its allocation
• Assess emerging technology for relevance to the business
• Partner with the executive team on company strategy
• Support fundraising, due diligence or acquisition activity

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field; advanced degree sometimes preferred

Required Skills and Experience

• 15+ years in technology including senior engineering leadership
• Track record of technology that supported significant business growth
• Strong architectural judgment over long time horizons
• Experience building and leading engineering organizations
• Board and investor communication
• Understanding of security, reliability and compliance obligations
• Commercial judgment about technology investment
• Ability to work hands on where the company stage requires it

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior chief technology officer or founder experience
• Sector specific experience relevant to the business