Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Artificial Intelligence (AI) Required, Work From Home
Next Step Systems Open · verified Oct 24, 2026 At a glance
C-Suite Engineering Leadership role at Next Step Systems. Remote, United States · full-time · $180,000–$250,000 base.
techroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Set the architecture for AI systems, infrastructure and developer tools, balancing quick iteration with systems that can evolve
- Guide technical choices across model integration, data pipelines, distributed systems and product architecture
- Turn product direction into engineering plans, align workstreams and keep teams focused on delivery
- Build the engineering organization, set hiring and interview standards, and establish development practices
- Coordinate with product, research and leadership to unblock technical work across teams and locations
What you bring
- You bring experience with system architecture, large-scale systems and distributed architecture
- AI experience is required for this role
- You have built or led strong engineering teams and can set technical priorities and make practical trade-offs
- You can communicate clearly and align teams while working through complex, ambiguous problems
Who this fits
This is a remote, C-suite role on the founding team, suited to a technology leader who wants to shape technical direction and build an engineering organization. You must be willing to complete a 60-minute coding assessment.
From the employer
Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Artificial Intelligence (AI) Required, Work From Home
We are looking for a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who can think clearly about systems, make strong technical decisions, and help build the engineering organization from the ground up. The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will be part of founding team to shape the technical direction of the company, while helping build a strong engineering team across the globe. This position is 100% Remote.
MUST BE WILLING TO TAKE A 60 MINUTE CODING ASSESSMENT.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Responsibilities:
Technical Direction:
- Define the long-term architecture for AI systems, infrastructure, and developer platform.
- Evaluate trade-offs between speed of iteration and long-term system design.
- Ensure systems are designed for scalability, reliability, and long-term evolution.
- Guide key decisions across model integration, data pipelines, distributed systems, and product architecture.
Engineering Leadership:
- Work with engineers to translate product direction into clear technical execution.
- Help structure engineering workstreams and keep teams aligned on priorities.
- Maintain high engineering standards while keeping the team focused on shipping.
- Establish engineering culture, development practices, and technical standards across the company.
Building the Team:
- Build and scale a world-class engineering team across key talent hubs including China and US.
- Identify strong technical leaders and help build a high-quality engineering organization.
- Define hiring standards and interview processes to maintain a high engineering bar.
Coordination and Execution:
- Work closely with product, research, and leadership teams.
- Ensure technical workstreams move forward smoothly across teams and locations.
- Help resolve cross-team technical and execution challenges.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Qualifications:
- Strong technical foundation in system architecture, large-scale systems, distributed architecture.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) experience required.
- Ability to reason clearly about complex systems and make pragmatic technical decisions.
- Experience building or leading high-performing engineering teams.
- Strong judgment on technical trade-offs and engineering priorities.
- Comfortable operating in early-stage environments with high ambiguity.
- Clear communication and ability to align teams.
- We are particularly interested in candidates who enjoy building teams, superior products and shaping engineering organizations.
Benefits include medical insurance, Dental, Vision, Savings Plan Options, PTO, etc.
Keywords: San Francisco CA Jobs, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), AI, Architecture, Artificial Intelligence, Chief Technology Officer, CTO, Data Pipelines, Distributed Systems, Engineering, Infrastructure, Product Architecture, Software Developers, Remote, Work From Home, California Recruiters, IT Jobs, California Recruiting
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Please check out all of our jobs at www.nextstepsystems.com.
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