Job Details

Founding CTO – Early-Stage Venture (NY or SF)

Partnered with Harrison Clarke

We're working with an ambitious, early-stage startup at a pivotal moment in its journey, pre-Series A, well-funded, and led by experienced founders with a strong track record. They're now looking for a Founding CTO to join as a core member of the leadership team and take full ownership of the company's technical vision, strategy, and execution.

This is a rare opportunity to build a company, and its technology, from the ground up.

The Role

As Founding CTO, you will:

• Define and own the long-term technical vision and architecture
• Build, lead, and inspire a high-performing engineering team from scratch
• Work closely with the CEO and leadership team to shape product direction and company strategy
• Make key decisions on infrastructure, tooling, and scalability
• Drive rapid product development while maintaining high standards of quality and performance
• Represent the technical function to investors, partners, and stakeholders

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience as a senior engineering leader (CTO, VP Engineering, or similar) in a high-growth or early-stage environment
• Strong hands-on technical background, with the ability to architect and build scalable systems
• Experience building and scaling engineering teams
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for action and ownership
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and thrive in a fast-moving startup environment
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative leadership style

Nice to Have

• Previous founding or early employee experience
• Exposure to fundraising and investor relations
• Background in scaling products from 0 to 1 (and ideally beyond)

Location

• New York or San Francisco (hybrid/flexible options available)

Why Join?

• Foundational role with significant equity
• Opportunity to shape both product and company from day one
• Backed by experienced founders and strong early investors
• High-impact, high-autonomy environment

If you're excited by the idea of building something from the ground up and want to play a defining role in a company's success, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply via Harrison Clarke or reach out directly for a confidential conversation.