Chief Technology Officer (CTO) – Deep Tech / Autonomous Systems

On behalf of my client, we are searching for a Chief Technology Officer to lead the next phase of growth for a venture-backed deep-tech company building an integrated drone + software platform for real-world deployment.

This is a pivotal leadership role: taking a strong early system and scaling it into a production-ready, compliant, revenue-generating service.

If you’re a hands-on technology leader who has scaled complex systems into the real world—and want to shape a category-defining platform at a critical inflection point, we’d love to hear from you.

The Mission

First 90 days

• Bring structure and cadence to a multidisciplinary engineering team (~9 across software, robotics, aerospace, GNC)
• Reduce technical & documentation debt while maintaining delivery pace
• Build an investor-ready technology narrative (architecture, IP, roadmap, maturity plan)
• Establish reliability, testing, and release processes fit for regulated deployment

12–18 months

• Scale engineering to 20–30+ while maintaining quality and accountability
• Deliver a compliant MVP system capable of paid operations
• Advance manufacturing readiness (supplier + in-house capability)
• Define and track KPIs linking technical maturity to regulatory progress and fundraising

What You’ll Own

• End-to-end technology strategy & systems architecture (hardware, embedded/autonomy, cloud, operations tooling)
• Engineering org design, hiring, and performance management
• Reliability engineering: testing, release gates, field readiness, continuous improvement
• Manufacturing engineering oversight (DFM, suppliers, quality systems)
• Full product ownership (no Head of Product): roadmap, trade-offs, execution
• Clear communication with investors and partners on technical direction, risks, and IP

We’re Looking For

• Experience delivering deep-tech products combining hardware + software (e.g. robotics, aerospace, autonomous systems)
• Proven leadership: scaling teams, setting high standards, making tough calls
• Track record of taking products from early stage → real-world deployment
• Comfortable operating in regulated / safety-critical environments
• Strong systems thinker across disciplines (software ↔ embedded ↔ robotics ↔ manufacturing)
• Able to move fast without sacrificing structure, quality, or compliance

Nice to Have

• Drone/UAS or aviation experience
• Manufacturing scale-up and supplier ecosystem exposure
• Experience linking technical KPIs to commercial growth and fundraising

Working Model

• Hybrid: 2+ days/week on-site (near Cambridge, UK)
• OR Dublin-based with regular travel
• Distributed team across UK & Ireland, with growing international exposure

…