Chief Technology Officer — Founding Team | Early-Stage Startup
JX Marine Technologies Pvt Ltd · Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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High temperature. High humidity. Vibration. Limited access to infrastructure. And in many operating environments, no reliable internet connectivity.We are an early-stage deep-tech startup currently at the pre-prototype stage. Our system architecture is complete, and we are now looking for a Chief Technology Officer to lead the transition from architecture to a working prototype and, ultimately, a field-ready product.This is a hands-on technology leadership role.We are not looking for someone to advise the team from a distance. The CTO will work directly with the founding team, make key engineering decisions, build the core technology, and establish the engineering team as the company grows.What you will ownYou will lead the development and integration of the core propulsion system.This includes:Bidirectional motor drive and power electronicsMulti-cell battery systems and intelligent BMSEmbedded motor control firmwareReal-time embedded software and task schedulingOn-device AI inference and predictive fault monitoringThermal management and protectionSystem communications and diagnosticsHardware and software integrationTesting, fault isolation and field validationThe system needs to operate reliably in saltwater, heat, and humidity without depending on continuous cloud connectivity.You will be expected to work across hardware and software boundaries rather than treating them as separate problems.For example, when a system fault occurs, you should be comfortable moving from measurements at the power stage to firmware behaviour, sensor signals, communications, control logic, and battery behaviour to identify the actual root cause.What you will doFrom day one, you will:Turn the existing system architecture into a working prototypeSelect and evaluate key hardware componentsDevelop and integrate the motor drive, battery, and BMS systemsDevelop embedded motor control firmwareDesign the real-time software architecture and task schedulingIntegrate on-device AI inference with the embedded control systemEstablish hardware-in-the-loop and system-level testingDebug failures using measurements, instrumentation, and structured analysisDefine engineering standards, documentation, and development processesLead domain engineers and interns as the team expandsReview technical work and make architecture-level decisionsParticipate in field testing and validationWork closely with the founding team on product and technology strategyThis role will involve hands-on engineering. You should expect to design, build, test, debug, and occasionally start again when the data tells us that something is wrong.What we are looking forWe are looking for an engineer who has already built and debugged real systems.You should have between 2 and 4 years of hands-on industry or project experience across two or more of the following areas:Power electronicsBattery systems and BMSEmbedded motor controlEmbedded firmwareReal-time systemsMotor drivesPower management systemsEmbedded AI or edge inferenceWe are an early-stage startup, and this role is structured accordingly, in terms of compensation, resources, and stage of the company. Candidates with 5 or more years of experience are welcome to read the full description, but should assess honestly whether the startup stage and compensation structure suit their current situation before applying.We are particularly interested in candidates who have worked on real hardware, not only simulations, academic models, or reference designs.You should be able to demonstrate that you have worked on a multi-subsystem system where hardware and software had to operate together.More importantly, you should be able to explain what happened when something went wrong.If a motor drive stopped behaving correctly, a BMS generated unexpected readings, a controller became unstable, or an embedded system failed under load, how did you determine where the problem was?We want someone who approaches problems through measurement, testing, reasoning, and evidence.Leadership mattersThe CTO will not only be responsible for the technology.As the engineering team grows, you will be responsible for building the technical culture around it.You should be comfortable:Breaking complex engineering work into clear tasksMentoring junior engineers and internsReviewing designs and implementationSetting technical prioritiesMaking decisions when information is incompleteHolding engineering standardsTaking responsibility when systems failWorking closely with the founding teamYou should also be willing to travel for field testing and validation when required.Who this role may suitThis could be a strong fit for an experienced embedded, power electronics, motor control, or battery engineer who wants to take genuine ownership of a product rather than remain within a narrow engineering function.It may also suit someone who has worked across multiple engineering disciplines and is ready to take their first major technology leadership role in an early-stage company.We care more about what you have actually built and debugged than the title on your previous job.What to expect at this stageThis is an early-stage startup. There is no large team, no established lab, and no guaranteed infrastructure. You will work with the founding team directly from day one.What this means in practice:You will make decisions with incomplete informationYou will handle tasks outside your core domain when neededYou will build processes and standards from scratch, not inherit themProgress will depend on your initiative as much as on resourcesThe compensation at this stage reflects the startup reality — equity is a significant part of the offerIf you are looking for a structured corporate engineering role, this is not the right position. If you want to build something from the ground up and own the outcome, read the rest carefully.What we offerFull-time: Preferred, with a high level of ownership and commitment.Part-time: Considered for the right candidate, with a minimum commitment of 25 hours per week.
Remote candidates will be considered depending on their experience and ability to participate in hardware development and field testing.Compensation: Competitive salary and meaningful equity. The exact structure will be discussed with shortlisted candidates based on experience, commitment, and responsibilities.How to applyEmail your CV to:david@jxmarine.inSubject: CTO Application, Your NameYour application must include a written answer to the question below.Applications without an answer will not be reviewed."Describe one multi-subsystem project you worked on involving power electronics, embedded firmware, or a battery management system."We are interested in the engineering process, not a perfect project story.If you have built something real, had it fail, found the reason, and fixed it, tell us about that.David Ratham, MIETFounderJX Marine Technologies Private Limited