Chief Technology Officer

Job PurposeBuilding world-class products like Cardano, Midnight and RealFi requires not just brilliant engineers, but a living ecosystem where standards, habits and ways of working compound over time. The CTO is the person who builds that ecosystem.Working at the intersection of strategy and code, the CTO partners with the CEO to define the engineering direction, align the CPO and COO to keep the roadmap sound and moving at pace, and work with IO Labs to bring the most promising ideas from research into reality. They shape how IOG builds in an AI-first world, embedding an agentic programming philosophy that makes AI a genuine force multiplier across every team. And they grow the people who make all of this possible, through a Centre of Excellence that sets the technical standard for every product and venture IOG builds next.CTO AccountabilitiesWork with the CEO to define the future engineering strategy for IOGOwn enterprise technology and architectural directionShape the developer ecosystem: the standards, culture, tooling, and working practices that determine how IOG builds software. AI-first engineering: developing and embedding an agentic programming philosophy across IOG - establishing how engineers and AI agents work together to build and ship at pace in an agent-driven worldWorking closely with the COO and CPO to ensure the roadmap is technically sound, resourced appropriately, and delivered at velocityVenture viability: partnering with IO Labs and ventures to assess whether new ideas are technically feasible, advising on build approach, and ensuring promising concepts can move quickly from research to realityRespect the autonomy of advanced ventures, while ensuring they remain aligned with the wider ecosystemTechnical direction and architecture: the technology thesis, the standards all teams follow, and the decisions that keep IOG's platforms coherent, scalable, and secureThe engineering bench: attracting and developing world-class engineers through a Centre of Excellence model - setting the technical standard and ensuring it propagates across product and venture teamsHolds enterprise-level budget responsibility within the technology function, including infrastructure, tooling, AI compute, and strategic technology investments. Collaborates with the CEO and COO on cross-functional and enterprise-wide financial decisions where technology investment intersects with broader business prioritiesOperates with executive-level autonomy to set policies, allocate technical resources, and shape strategic initiatives within the technology domainInternal Partnerships, working withThe CEO: a thought partner in shaping company-wide technology strategy and representing engineering at the highest levelThe Engineers: personally recruiting, mentoring, and serving as the technical authority the team trusts and aspires toThe CPO: aligning roadmap ambition with engineering capability, assessing the technical feasibility of product requirements, and providing realistic delivery timelines. The CPO owns what is built; the CTO owns how it is builtThe COO: defining the boundary between technical standards and operational delivery. The CTO retains the engineering hiring bar and provides regular technical health metrics including technical debt levels, architectural risks, and engineering velocity blockers; the COO owns execution at scaleIO Labs: translating research and strategic bets into working prototypes and products, providing an honest technical view on what is viable and how quickly IOG can moveThe CTO participates in Investment Committee, Venture Acceleration Boards, and acquisition discussions as the most senior technical voice, and provides venture-ready technical foundations to new ideas and proto-ideasExternal PartnersServe as the primary external technical voice for IOG, including conferences, panels, investor forums, and key partnershipsMaintain strong relationships with leading researchers, founders, and technical talent across the Web3 and wider technology ecosystemTranslate IOG's technical strategy into language that boards, investors, and non-technical executives can engage withExecutive LeadershipLeads the technology function at enterprise levelOwns the leadership bench for the technology domain, ensuring structure, capability, and successionCollaborates with C-suite peers to align leadership expectations across the companyChampions diversity, culture, and leadership excellence within the technology functionShapes policies and initiatives across the organization where technology intersects, driving a performance culture by modeling high standards and collaborating with C-suite peers to ensure consistent expectations at scaleRequirementsSpecialist SkillsA clearly articulated engineering philosophy and proven ability to apply it - setting and upholding engineering, architectural, and security standards across a large, distributed organisationDeep expertise in Web3 technologiesStrong systems thinking, with the ability to see a developer ecosystem as a whole and predict emergent behaviourClear point of view on how AI is reshaping software engineering, and how to use it to amplify a healthy ecosystem rather than a chaotic oneHands-on technical credibility: commits code to engineering repositories, reviews engineering work, and works alongside engineers regularlyExperience leading technical due diligence for acquisitions, partnerships, and venture investmentsStrong ability to translate complex technical concepts for board members, investors, and non-technical executivesStrong external profile and the ability to represent IOG credibly at the most senior levels of the industryDeep familiarity with formal verification methods and cryptographic correctness, including zero-knowledge proof systems, consensus protocol verification, and provably secure system design. Education and ExperienceProgressive technology leadership experience, including significant time in senior or executive technical rolesProven track record as a senior technical leader in a high-growth technology, blockchain, or venture studio environmentDeep, demonstrable experience in Web3, blockchain, or distributed systemsDirect experience shaping a developer ecosystem at scale, including engineering culture, standards, tooling, and platform decisionsExperience contributing to executive-level strategy, board materials, and investment decisionsStrong external profile within the Web3, blockchain, or wider technology ecosystem is a strong plusA hands-on engineering leader who makes decisions, moves fast, and builds developer ecosystems that shipDeep technical credibility: someone engineers trust, with strong architecture instincts and a bias for getting things doneExperience operating at the intersection of research and product in a fast-moving environmentSomeone who thrives in a high-trust, distributed leadership model and builds strong peer relationships naturallyBenefitsCompensation & BenefitsThe base salary range for this position is $250,000-$300,000 per year at the commencement of employment. Any offer will be determined based on the candidate's overall experience, qualifications, and performance throughout the interview process.In addition to base salary, this role is eligible to participate in the company's long-term token incentive program, subject to applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements. Base salary represents only one component of the total compensation package.Benefits include:Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and eligible dependents401(k)Health Savings AccountLife insuranceLaptop reimbursementNew-starter allowance for essential hardware, including headphones, monitors, and other equipmentLearning and development opportunitiesEqual Employment OpportunityWe value diversity and evaluate all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.