Fractional CTO / Founding Engineer

The organization is an early-stage fintech engineering startup building an enterprise-style SaaS platform focused on high-reliability workflows in credit and related financial products. The role is a senior technical leader (CTO / founding-engineer thought partner) joining initially on a fractional/contract basis with a clear pathway to full-time. This role will define the technical roadmap, ship an MVP, and scale the product and engineering team while aligning technology with business goals. Responsibilities • Act as strategic technical partner to the CEO and founding team; shape product and technical roadmap. • Lead end-to-end delivery of the MVP and early product features, including hands-on engineering when required. • Define system architecture, technical standards, and operational practices for a secure, reliable enterprise SaaS product. • Drive engineering processes: CI/CD, testing strategy, observability, and incident response. • Ensure compliance, security posture, and operational discipline appropriate for regulated financial use cases. • Hire, mentor, and manage engineering hires and contractors; build a small, high-leverage team. • Collaborate with product, design, and business stakeholders to prioritize work that moves key metrics and fundraising readiness. • Manage vendor and outsourced engineering relationships and contracts as needed. • Provide clear technical input for fundraising materials and investor diligence. • Start as a part-time/contract engagement and transition to full-time when fit and business needs align; be available for periodic in-person collaboration. Qualifications • 4–10 years of hands-on engineering experience with progressive leadership responsibilities; early-stage startup CTO or founding-engineer experience strongly preferred. • Proven track record shipping product quickly and owning delivery end-to-end. • Strong product sense and demonstrable business acumen; able to make trade-offs between speed, risk, and scale. • Domain experience in fintech is highly preferred; experience with credit- or lending-related products is a plus. • Solid technical foundations in system architecture, SaaS platforms, security, and operational excellence. • Experience working in enterprise-style SaaS or regulated environments preferred. • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build strong chemistry with founders and small teams. • Comfortable starting in a fractional/contract capacity with a willingness to convert to full-time. • Willingness to be co-located or relocate to New York State or California for periodic in-person collaboration. • Compensation preference for equity-heavy packages; open to negotiation on terms. • Baseline technical competency will be verified through interview and technical assessment.