The Chief Technology Officers role is to assure the successful execution of the companys business mission through development and deployment of the companys web presence. This requires envisioning the companys service offerings as a web-based business, leading implementation of web applications, and planning for risk and growth.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Planning

Working with other members of the executive team, identify opportunities and risks for delivering the companys services as a web-based business, including identification of competitive services, opportunities for innovation, and assessment of marketplace obstacles and technical hurdles to the business success.
Identify technology trends and evolving social behavior that may support or impede the success of the business.
Evaluate and identify appropriate technology platforms (including web application frameworks and the deployment stack) for delivering the companys services.
Lead strategic planning to achieve business goals by identifying and prioritizing development initiatives and setting timetables for the evaluation, development, and deployment of all web-based services.
Participate as a member of the senior management team in establishing governance processes of direction and control to ensure that objectives are achieved, risks are managed appropriately and the organizations resources are used responsibly, particularly in the areas of software development, office networks and computers, and telecommunications.
Collaborate with the appropriate departments to assess and recommend technologies that support company organizational needs.
Establish a governance process that meets government, partner, and company expectations for customer information privacy.
Direct development and execution of an enterprise-wide information security plan that protects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the companys data and servers.
Direct development and execution of an enterprise-wide disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
Communicate the companys technology strategy to investors, management, staff, partners, customers, and stakeholders.
 
Implementation & Deployment

Establish email, calendaring and collaboration services for the company (in the absence of a system administrator).
Build a new, ground-breaking Internet service based on:
A distributed information platform that allows for uploads of multiple data types into individual profiles and downloads of discrete reports

A cloud-based database system with advanced automated curation, on-demand visualization and automated report generation capabilities

An ecommerce system with dynamic product generation, dynamic pricing, ad hoc & subscription payment and auditing components

Select and set up a software revision control sytem and repository (in the absence of a system administrator).
Collaborate with the founders and potential customers to develop use cases (or user stories) and specifications that describe the implementation of the companys services as a web application.
Collaborate with User Experience Designer
As a member of the senior management team, participate in the selection of a graphic designer to design the web applications look and feel.
Select and manage company staff or outsourced vendors who will implement a design as web pages
Select or define the companys software development methodology.
Establish a specification conformance and testing regimen based on user stories and the User Experience design.
Promulgate coding conventions, development processes and documentation standards.
Establish initial architecture for the application.
Select and manage company staff or outsourced vendors who will implement the application.
Establish and supervise the software development process, setting short-term objectives and assessing progress as defined by the selected software development methodology.
Conduct code reviews and specification conformance testing as defined by the selected software development methodology.
Establish and supervise a quality assurance process, including integration and system testing.
Select, deploy, and monitor performance profiling tools and procedures.
Review and approve proposed development releases and manage the release process and schedule.
Evaluate and select hosting service.
Establish an application deployment process and supervise deployment to staging and production servers.
Monitor application performance and review any application failures in staging or production.
Establish bug tracking system and integrate feedback into development process
Establish and monitor a web analytics regime that measures site traffic and application usage relative to business goals.
Support the marketing process by providing implementation of technical requirements for Internet marketing and search engine optimization.
Establish a process to integrate customer service and support with the software engineering process to support resolution of customer issues and improve application usability.
 
Operational Management

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology standards, industry trends, emerging technologies, and software development best practices by attending relevant conferences and reading widely (including reading peer blogs).
Define and communicate company values and standards for acquiring or developing systems, equipment, or software within the company.
Ensure that technology standards and best practices are maintained across the organization.
Share knowledge, mentor, and educate the organizations investors, management, staff, partners, customers, and stakeholders with regard to the companys technological vision, opportunities, and challenges.
Ensure company technical problems are resolved in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Develop, track, and control the development and deployment annual operating and capital budgets for purchasing, staffing, and operations.
Supervise recruitment, training, retention, and organization of all development staff in accordance with the company hiring process, personnel policies, and budget requirements.
Establish standards of performance and monitor conformance for staff (through performance review) and vendors (through service level agreements).
Ensure the companys internal technological processes and customer-facing services comply with applicable laws and regulations for privacy, security, and social responsibility.
Promote achievement of the companys business goals within a context of community collaboration by developing policies for sharing software code, technological innovation, business processes, and other intellectual property.
Contribute to open source software development, standardization of technologies, and evolution of best practices by collaborating with peers outside the company, releasing code, presenting at conferences, and writing for publication (online or offline).
 
Position Requirements

Formal Education & Certification

University degree in the field of computer science, engineering, mathematics and/or business administration, or another rigorous discipline. An advanced degree in one or more of these fields will be considered favorable.
 
Knowledge & Experience

Demonstrated ability to envision web-based services that meet consumer needs or solve business problems.
7-10 years experience managing web application development.
5 years experience with startup companies.
Hands-on experience coding in more than one currently popular web application framework.
Familiar with more than one software development methodology.
Ability to discern user requirements and develop specifications.
Ability to work with product marketing management to specify technical requirements and resources
Has contributed to one or more open source projects.
Knowledge of web standards.
Experience with UNIX system administration and web server configuration.
Knowledge of Internet protocols and RFC standards, database management systems, and revision control systems.
Familiarity with information security vulnerabilities and risk management.
Familiarity with consumer privacy and payments industry compliance requirements.
Exposure to business theory, business process development, governance processes, management, budgeting, and administrative operations.
 
Personal Attributes

Proven leadership ability.
Ability to set and manage priorities judiciously.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to articulate ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Exceptionally self-motivated and directed.
Keen attention to detail.
Superior analytical, strategic, evaluative, and problem-solving abilities.
Exceptional service orientation.
Ability to motivate in a team-oriented, collaborative environment