Chief Technology Officer

About the position

Travelstride is seeking an entrepreneurial and hands-on CTO to lead our engineering team and drive the evolution of our technology stack as we scale. The CTO will be critical in aligning our technical solutions with the company's strategic goals, ensuring that our platform remains innovative, robust, scalable, and efficient as we expand. You will report to the CEO and founder and collaborate closely with the heads of Product, Marketing, Sales, Partnerships, and Customer Success. Our core system is built in Python/FastAPI with parts of the older platform in Ruby on Rails. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic startup environment, loves solving complex problems, and is passionate about early stage startups, marketplaces, AI, and travel.

Responsibilities

• Lead by example, spending approximately 50% of your time as an individual contributor, writing code and solving the most challenging technical problems.
• Architect and design a platform that is scalable, secure, and can support the complex needs of our marketplace, including international payments, multi-language support, data integration, and closed-loop messaging systems.
• Integrate emerging technologies, including Generative AI, into the platform to enhance user experience, streamline internal processes, and provide personalized travel recommendations.
• Ensure the system is built for scalability, security, and high performance, applying DevOps best practices.
• Stay ahead of industry trends, continuously evaluating new tools and technologies that could enhance our platform’s performance or user experience.
• Lead and mentor a team of 6 engineers, helping them grow their technical abilities while fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear goals for the engineering team, conducting regular reviews, and providing feedback to ensure high standards and personal development.
• Foster a growth mindset within the team and drive best practices in software engineering, including code reviews, agile processes, and project planning.
• Work closely with the CEO, Product Manager, UX Designer, and leadership team to ensure technology strategies align with company goals and user needs.
• Collaborate with the product team to align tech with business objectives, ensuring product features align with strategic goals for users and B2B partners.
• Interface with Sales and Marketing to understand customer feedback and market needs, translating these into technical solutions and improvements.
• Collaborate with key B2B partners, investors, and other external stakeholders, ensuring our tech meets their needs and fostering productive relationships.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in software development
• Proven experience in architecting and scaling complex, global platforms, particularly in marketplaces, e-commerce, or consumer internet businesses.
• Expertise with agile dev methodologies and silicon valley startup best practices.
• Strong hands-on experience with full-stack development, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and security best practices.
• Experience leading teams, not necessarily as an engineering manager, mentoring devs.
• Excellent communication skills - can explain complex technical concepts to non-experts.
• A track record of aligning technical strategies with business goals and driving innovation.
• History of integrating new technologies, including Generative AI, in live environments.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience managing direct reports
• Know payment systems, data integration, security, and messaging protocols.
• Experience in the travel or e-commerce industry, particularly with marketplaces.
• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.