Chief Technology Officer/Founding member
Fortal · Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tailor my CV for this job — freeCTO Fortal | Help Build the Next Way of Working
We now need a founding CTO to lead the production , last mile and commercialization.The ProductImagine people, external teams, AI agents, LLMs, and thousands of SaaS applications working together in one secure environment. Customers choose their preferred tools and models; Fortal provides the orchestration layer /Canvas that connects them.That's the future we're building toward, and we've already built the foundation.Fortal is a bootstrapped technology venture with a functioning product. We're now entering our next phase: developing intelligent AI operators, multi-model orchestration, and taking the platform toward scalable, enterprise-grade production.We're looking for an exceptional technology leader who wants to help shape this future, not simply take another executive position.Who Is This Opportunity For?Accomplished Full stack engineering and AI native candidates who can think out of the box.We're particularly interested in accomplished professionals who are considering what they want to build next. This is a long term position , possibly a founding member depending on the profile, so we are actively looking at senior leaders who are looking for an equity only position but open to bare minimum salary component but this is not preferable.You might be:A returning US based technology leader (preferably full stack): You've spent 10–15 years in the US or global SaaS ecosystem, perhaps as a CTO, VP Engineering, or senior technology leader, and are returning to India/UAE or considering your next chapter.A EU/UAE-based technology professional: You've built an international technology career and are looking for an opportunity to help create something significant.A former founder: You've built, scaled, or exited a technology business and are ready to do it again, this time with a working product already in place.An investor who's also a builder: You've invested in or advised startups but want to take an active role in building the next one. Personal financial investment is not required.A hands-on technologist: You've led teams and shipped sophisticated products but still enjoy writing code, experimenting, and solving difficult engineering problems.These are examples, not rigid categories. What matters is technical depth, global perspective, exceptional communication skills, commercial understanding, and a genuine desire to build. Our Culture & MindsetWe're building a technology product for non-engineers. That's why we're looking for exceptional engineering skills combined with a non-engineering mindset.Our founders come from global business and strategy backgrounds. We're self-taught in technology, deeply hands-on with product development, and constantly learning and experimenting.We believe in:Possibility thinking: Challenging assumptions and exploring what technology can make possible.Consumer-first thinking: Making sophisticated technology simple, intuitive, and accessible.Continuous learning: Experimenting, adapting, and embracing emerging technologies.Building over managing: Staying hands-on, solving problems, and shipping.Resourcefulness: Building intelligently with lean teams and disciplined spending.We want someone who brings deep technical expertise without losing sight of the consumer, the product, or the business.Ideally, you bring:10+ years of technology experience, preferably within US or global SaaS companies.AI NativeIvy League or equivalent academic credentials, preferred.Proven SaaS product experience, having architected, built, launched, and scaled complex platforms.CTO-level technical depth, combined with enthusiasm for personally coding, debugging, and building.Fundraising and investor experience, including venture capital engagement, technical due diligence, or participation in fundraising rounds.Outstanding communication skills, capable of engaging confidently with customers, investors, business partners, and engineering teams.Strong commercial and product judgment, connecting technology decisions with customer needs and business growth.A founder's mindset, with the ambition to help build a globally relevant technology business.Preferred Technical BackgroundWe're looking for a versatile engineering leader with experience across several of the following areas:Frontend & applications: React, Next.js, Electron, TypeScript, JavaScript, Redux, Zustand.Collaborative platforms: CRDTs, Yjs, Automerge, Operational Transformation, real-time synchronization.Visual & interactive systems: Canvas API, SVG, WebGL, PixiJS, Konva.js.Document & workspace technologies: ProseMirror, Tiptap, Lexical, collaborative document models.Backend & systems: Python, Node.js, Go, C++, Java, distributed systems.AI & orchestration: LangGraph, LangChain, MCP, LLM integrations, multi-agent systems, agentic workflows.SaaS integrations: Google Workspace APIs, Microsoft Graph, REST APIs, GraphQL, webhooks.Real-time systems: WebSockets, Socket.IO, WebRTC, event-driven architectures.Cloud & infrastructure: AWS, Azure, GCP, Linux, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform.Data & messaging: PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB, Apache Kafka.Security & identity: OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML, RBAC, multi-tenancy, application isolation.Browser technologies: Chromium, browser APIs, browser automation.Workflow engines: Temporal, Apache Airflow, distributed job processing.Engineering & DevOps: CI/CD, GitHub Actions, observability, automated testing, production deployment.Experience across several of these technologies is desirable, but this is not a rigid checklist or a description of our current architecture. We value strong systems thinking, hands-on engineering, and demonstrated experience building sophisticated, collaborative SaaS products end to end.What You'll OwnEnd-to-end technology leadership: Architecture, hands-on development, security, performance, deployment, and scaling.Product evolution: Strengthening our existing platform and building our AI operator and orchestration capabilities.Hands-on engineering: Personally writing code, developing features, and solving complex technical challenges.Product and business strategy: Working directly with the founders on customer experience, roadmap, commercial priorities, and technical decisions.External leadership: Representing Fortal's technology to investors, customers, and strategic partners, including fundraising discussions.Selective team building: Recruiting additional developers only when genuinely required.This is a builder-first role. We're bootstrapped, intend to stay lean, and value engineering productivity over headcount.The OpportunityThis is a (meaningful) equity-first opportunity .Unfortunately we will not be seeing applications who are looking for another job or a paid freelance opportunity. Fortal already has a substantial working product and technology foundation. The opportunity is to help shape its next generation and participate in the long-term value created.For the right individual, we envision a Founding CTO position with meaningful ownership and a potential path to co-founder, based on mutual fit, contribution, and commitment.We're looking for someone who values the mission, technical challenge, and potential long-term upside more than a conventional executive compensation package.Location & Long-Term CommitmentWe are UAE based company Our long-term intention is for this to become a UAE-based technology leadership role following successful funding, as Fortal scales internationally. Candidates should be open to this potential transition.We're also open to exceptional candidates based elsewhere who can accommodate in-person collaboration and share our long-term ambitions.If you're looking for your next mission rather than simply your next job,do apply!