CTO / Head of Engineering (+ Equity) at pre-seed AI defence tech startup

Job Title

CTO / Head of Engineering

Salary

Not Disclosed

Company Description

Pre-seed AI defence tech startup

Job Description

As the founding CTO of this pre-seed AI defence tech startup, you will build the technical foundation from zero. You will architect multi-agent systems to simulate information warfare and cognitive threats for EU government institutions. This is a hands‑on leadership role combining high-level strategy with deep model development and team building.

Location

London, UK

Why this role is remarkable

• Mission-driven work at the intersection of AI and national security, tackling the defining global challenge of cognitive threats.
• Founding-stage opportunity at a pre‑seed startup backed by the urgent demand for European defence sovereignty and resilience.
• True co‑founder autonomy to shape the technical architecture, engineering culture, and product direction from day one.

What You Will Do

• Architect and build multi-agent systems for population-level cognitive impact modelling and sophisticated threat simulation.
• Lead hands‑on development including training and fine‑tuning LLMs while managing complex data architectures for government clients.
• Recruit and lead the initial engineering team while establishing robust security and compliance standards for defence‑grade technology.

The ideal candidate

• Proven track record as a CTO or technical founder at an early‑stage startup, ideally having scaled through growth rounds.
• Deep technical expertise in AI/ML, specifically with hands‑on experience training or fine‑tuning LLMs and complex agent frameworks.
• Based in London (or willing to relocate) with a strong desire to build mission‑critical technology from the ground up.

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