Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer

We are partnering with a high-potential marketplace startup in the UAE to build their founding team. Our partner is a taste-driven style exchange platform where people discover, share, and pass forward the things they love — curated by real people with a genuine point of view. We're building the infrastructure for that exchange to happen seamlessly, at scale, across MENA. This is not a role you inherit; it's one you build.At Uplift, we work closely with our clients not only to fill roles but to shape the core teams that will define their success. These positions are part of the initial leadership layer, offering a rare opportunity to join at an early stage and directly influence how the business, product, and customer experience are built from the ground up.The Role:We are looking for a technologist who thinks like a designer, builds like an engineer, and obsesses overexperience and users. You will be the third co-founder, the first engineer, and the person who decides howthe platform feels as much as how it works. The platform is pre-launch, well-structured, and targeting a 2026go-live.

Key Responsibilities

1. Platform Architecture & Technical Ownership– Own the full technical architecture of the marketplace: mobile apps (iOS/Android), web platform, backend services, and data infrastructure– Lead all technical decisions: stack selection, third-party integrations (payments, logistics APIs, AI/ML), and infrastructure choices– Define and enforce engineering standards, security protocols, and scalability practices from day one– Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, QA frameworks, and deployment processes– Build for the UAE first — local payments infrastructure, Arabic language readiness, regional logistics integration — and scale across MENA2. Experience-Led Product, Engineering & Delivery– Create the technical roadmap, working backwards from the company vision– Translate product requirements into clean, scalable technical solutions — working closely with the founding team on requirements, user stories, and sprint execution– Own the MVP build end-to-end: core transaction flows, payments and escrow integration, buyer protection, seller dashboards, and admin tooling– Drive engineering velocity and quality: sprint cadence, unblocking decisions, and delivery against roadmap milestones3. AI-First Product & Experience StrategyAI is not a feature for our platform — it is the foundation that makes the experience joyful, fast, and cost-effective at scale. We want a CTO who can turn what is typically friction-heavy (listing, pricing, discovery, curation) into moments that feel almost effortless.– Embed AI-first thinking into the product: smart listing assistance, pricing recommendations, visual search, and personalisation.– Build the data foundation: event tracking, analytics pipelines, A/B testing infrastructure, and reporting dashboards– Define the long-term AI/ML roadmap in collaboration with the co-founders4. Team Building & Technical Leadership– Hire, manage, and grow the engineering team as the business scales — from pre-launch contractors to a full in-house team post-funding– Establish engineering culture: accountability, documentation, code review standards, and fast iteration– Act as the technical voice in investor conversations, partnerships, and product strategy discussionsWhat We're Looking For:Experience– 5–10 years of engineering experience, including up to 5 years in a CTO, VP or Head of Engineering capacity– Marketplace experience is essential — direct experience building or scaling a C2C or B2C marketplace– Practical, shipped AI/ML integration experience — you have meaningfully improved a product through AI– Experience with social platform mechanics: feeds, notifications, recommendation systems, and content distribution at scale– Strong full-stack capability with a backend-first mindset; comfortable with mobile (React Native or equivalent), cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP), and API design– Proven ability to ship product fast in an early-stage environment — not just manage, but build– UAE/MENA market experience preferred; willingness to travel to Dubai regularly is requiredMindset– Strong strategic thinker with equally strong executional instincts — holds the vision and ships the sprint– Understands that the feel of an app is built in engineering decisions: latency, hierarchy, animation, and the moment-to-moment texture of the experience– Motivated by building something culturally significant, not just technically functional– Co-founder mindset: high ownership, high tolerance for ambiguity, and genuine excitement about a 0-to-1 build– Motivated by equity and long-term upside — this is a co-founder role, not a corporate hire.Compensation & Details:Title - Co Founder & CTOSalary - AED 20,000 / month Equity - Meaningful co-founder equity stake with a standard vesting schedule - details shared directly with short listed candidates Location - Dubai-based, or remote with regular travel to Dubai. Flexibility on base location for the right candidate Visa - Own UAE visa or Golden Visa preferred; company sponsorship possible for the right candidate