Chief Technology Officer

We are an advanced robotics company developing intelligent humanoid robots designed to operate safely and effectively in real-world environments.The company is building a full-stack robotics platform combining AI, robotics software, hardware and human-centred design to develop capable robots for a broad range of applications.Backed by a major technology organisation, the business has the resources to pursue ambitious long-term robotics development while maintaining the pace and flexibility of a high-growth technology company.The long-term ambition is to make advanced humanoid robotics practical, reliable and commercially viable at scale.About the RoleWe are looking for a Chief Technology Officer to own the company's overall technology strategy and technical direction.This is a company-wide leadership position spanning long-term technology strategy, product and R&D direction, robotics architecture and the development of the engineering organisation.You will work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team to determine where the company should focus its technical investment, how the robotics platform should evolve and what capabilities need to be built to move from advanced R&D into reliable commercial products.You will ultimately be responsible for bringing together the full robotics stack, from actuators, electronics and embedded systems through controls, planning, perception, AI and data infrastructure.This is not a purely strategic CTO position. You will be expected to maintain strong technical depth, challenge engineering decisions, set architectural direction and get involved in the hardest technical problems when required.Key ResponsibilitiesOwn and define the company's long-term technology strategy and technical visionTranslate the company's commercial and product ambitions into a clear technology and R&D roadmapWork alongside the CEO and senior leadership team to determine technical priorities, investment areas and build-versus-buy decisionsOwn the technical architecture and evolution of the humanoid robotics platformDefine and execute the long-term R&D roadmap across hardware, software, AI and roboticsLead and develop the entire technical organisation across hardware, mechatronics, electrical engineering, embedded systems, controls, software, AI/ML and roboticsBuild the organisational structure, leadership team and hiring strategy required to support the company's next stage of growthSet technical standards, architecture principles, engineering processes and development practices across the organisationDrive innovation across manipulation, loco-manipulation, autonomy, perception and humanoid robot hardwareOversee development of the full control stack, including state estimation, whole-body control, MPC and learning-based policiesEnsure hardware, firmware, controls, software and AI teams are working from a coherent system architectureEstablish the technical approach for taking advanced robotics research through development, validation and into reliable real-world deploymentEnsure the technology roadmap balances technical ambition with product requirements, development speed, cost and commercial prioritiesMake final technical decisions on major architecture and platform-level questionsDevelop a culture of high technical standards, ownership, experimentation and executionRepresent the company's technology vision externally with customers, strategic partners, investors and the wider robotics communityProtect and develop the company's core technical differentiation and intellectual propertyMaintain sufficient technical depth to engage directly with the most challenging engineering and research problemsQualificationsMaster's or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline10+ years of experience across advanced robotics, AI/ML or a closely related technical fieldSignificant experience working with humanoid, legged or highly complex robotic systemsProven experience leading large, multidisciplinary engineering or R&D organisationsTrack record of taking advanced robotics technology from research through development and into working physical systemsExperience operating at senior executive or technical leadership level, with responsibility for setting technology strategy rather than simply delivering against an existing roadmapDemonstrated ability to recruit, develop and retain high-performing technical teamsTechnical RequirementsDeep technical expertise in robotics software architecture and AI systems for humanoid or legged robotsAdvanced experience with learning-based approaches including reinforcement learning, imitation learning, behavioural models and vision-language-action systemsStrong understanding of applying learning methods to robotic locomotion and manipulationHands-on experience with real-time robotics systems and ROS/ROS2 or comparable robotics middlewareStrong understanding of the full humanoid robotics stack, including actuators, sensors, electronics, embedded systems, controls, planning, AI and data infrastructureExperience integrating hardware and software across complex robotic systemsStrong understanding of robot controls, planning and state estimationExperience with production or field deployment of sophisticated robotic systemsKnowledge of model-based approaches including MPC, optimal control and LQRStrong understanding of simulation, data generation, training infrastructure and the systems required to develop learning-based robotics at scaleLeadership ProfileThe successful candidate will be a technically credible leader who can move comfortably between company strategy, engineering organisation design and detailed technical discussions.They will be expected to:Set a clear technical direction and bring the organisation with themMake difficult technical decisions and take responsibility for the outcomeKnow when to stay at the strategic level and when to get into the technical detailChallenge assumptions and raise the technical bar across the organisationBuild strong relationships across engineering, product and commercial teamsCommunicate complex technical ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholdersBalance long-term R&D ambition with the realities of building a commercial robotics companyOperate with high ownership, urgency and accountabilityBuild an engineering culture where people are expected to solve difficult problems rather than work around themBe comfortable operating in an environment where the technology is still evolving and many of the problems do not have established answersWhat Success Looks LikeIn the first few years, the CTO will establish the technical foundation for the company's next stage of growth.Success will mean:A clear and credible technology strategy aligned with the company's commercial ambitionsA world-class technical leadership team and engineering organisationA coherent architecture across the full robotics stackFaster progression from research concepts to working robotic systemsSignificant advances in locomotion, manipulation and autonomous behaviourA repeatable process for developing, validating and deploying increasingly capable humanoid robotsA technology platform that can support the company's transition from advanced R&D into scalable commercial deploymentClear technical differentiation that creates a lasting advantage in the humanoid robotics market