Chief Technology Officer

The Opportunity:

A unique opportunity to join, at the seed stage, an exciting and differentiated internet start-up in New York City which is early on in the process of building a novel social networking and SaaS-based platform. The individual who fills the CTO role will need to able to work full-time in New York City.

Responsibilities:

• Be the visionary for the company’s technology infrastructure, developing a long-term, detailed blueprint and roadmap that is flexible and adaptable. In alignment with the company’s strategic vision and business objectives, set the vision for the company’s technical direction and its priorities. Lay the foundation for the company’s technology architecture.
• Be a systems architect, an engineer and a communicator. As the strategic thinker responsible for understanding the relationship between the company’s technology and the outside world, be the company’s representative to the outside world as it relates to articulating the company’s technology vision, strategy, and development plan.
• Maintain and update on an ongoing basis strategic and operational plans as it relates to the company’s technology infrastructure. Identify when and how the company’s technology infrastructure should evolve in order to meet the ongoing strategy, objectives and needs of the business.

• Document clearly technical opportunities, constraints, recommendations, and action items, and effectively communicate this content both verbally and in writing in a way that both technical and non-technical audiences will clearly and easily understand.
• Team building and management.

• In collaboration with other key technical professionals, make sure the company's technology strategy always serves its business strategy.
• In collaboration with other key technical professionals, troubleshoot technical problems as well as identify in advance technology issues that have the potential to cause harm to the company.
• Collaborate cross-functionally. Build positive relationships throughout the organization. Work with both technical and non-technical members of the organization to help define ongoing and future business and systems requirements and help determine technology-related priorities.
• Stay informed of the latest technology trends, standards and best practices, as well as emerging technologies and products and services which have the potential to impact the company and the customers it serves.
• On an ongoing basis evaluate the technical needs of the company, research and propose solutions, and in collaboration with other key technical professionals design new solutions as necessary.

Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills:

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Numerous years of experience (including at VP, Director, Senior VP, Executive VP level) in, and deep technical knowledge of, software development, network engineering, database architecture, and IT security.
• Deep experience in and knowledge of social networks.
• Deep experience and knowledge of SaaS, web applications and mobile.
• Ideally prior CTO experience for a digital B2C or B2C-related company, business unit, or platform.
• Technology strategic planning experience and a strong ability to think strategically and translate strategic vision for a company’s technical direction into a clear and detailed technology development plan.
• Project management experience and strong organizational, project management, time management, planning & prioritization, and multi-tasking skills.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate content both verbally and in writing in a way that both technical and non-technical audiences can understand.
• Technology team building and team management experience.
• Business experience, and ideally as part of start-ups.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working collaboratively with others and cross-functionally within a business.
• Experience communicating a company’s technology vision, strategy, and development plan to the outside world and to business professionals inside an organization.
• Experience troubleshooting technical problems, and strong problem-solving skills including troubleshooting technical problems. Also, skill at preempting problems, by identifying in advance issues that have the potential to cause harm to a company.
• Experience undertaking technology product evaluations, selecting technology vendors, negotiating contracts related to technology purchases, and maintaining relationships with technology vendors.
• Experience developing technology budgets and successfully managing them.
• A track record of success.

All communication will be kept in strict confidence. Please include a CV. Cover note optional.

Thank you.