Chief Technology Officer

📋 Description

• • As a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Bjak Sdn. Bhd., you will be at the forefront of defining and executing the company's technological vision, playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of our proactive AI system. This is a foundational leadership opportunity within a dynamic early-stage startup, where you will be instrumental in building a world-class engineering organization from the ground up. You will be responsible for establishing the technical direction, architecting scalable and reliable systems, and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.
• • Your primary focus will be on the Technical Direction of our AI systems. This involves architecting the long-term vision for A1’s AI systems, the underlying infrastructure that powers them, and the developer platform that enables our teams. You will be tasked with meticulously evaluating the critical trade-offs between the speed of iteration required in a fast-paced startup environment and the necessity of robust, long-term system design. Ensuring that our systems are not only built for immediate needs but are also designed for significant scalability, unwavering reliability, and graceful long-term evolution will be paramount. You will guide and influence key technical decisions across a broad spectrum, including the integration of advanced AI models, the design and optimization of complex data pipelines, the intricacies of distributed systems, and the overall product architecture.
• • In terms of Engineering Leadership, you will collaborate closely with a talented team of engineers, translating the overarching product direction into clear, actionable technical execution plans. You will play a crucial role in structuring engineering workstreams, ensuring that teams remain aligned on priorities and are empowered to deliver effectively. Maintaining exceptionally high engineering standards while simultaneously keeping the team focused on the critical objective of shipping impactful products will be a core responsibility. Furthermore, you will be instrumental in establishing the foundational engineering culture, defining best-in-class development practices, and setting the technical standards that will guide the company's engineering efforts across all departments.
• • A significant aspect of your role will involve Building the Team. This entails actively building and scaling a world-class engineering team, strategically identifying and developing talent across key global hubs, including China and the US. You will be responsible for identifying strong technical leaders who can contribute to the growth and success of the organization and helping to build a high-quality engineering organization that thrives on collaboration and innovation. Defining clear hiring standards and refining interview processes will be essential to maintaining a consistently high engineering bar and attracting top-tier talent.
• • Your responsibilities will also extend to Coordination and Execution. You will work in close partnership with product management, research teams, and the broader leadership team to ensure seamless alignment and progress. Ensuring that technical workstreams move forward smoothly across diverse teams and geographical locations will be a key performance indicator. You will proactively help resolve complex cross-team technical and execution challenges, fostering an environment where obstacles are overcome efficiently and effectively.
• • We operate as a small, senior, and hands-on team, where engineers are empowered to own features end-to-end. This includes everything from initial design discussions and architectural planning through to production monitoring and ongoing maintenance. Code reviews and design reviews are integral to our process for all meaningful changes, promoting knowledge sharing and ensuring code quality. We foster an open environment for architectural discussions, enabling us to make decisions rapidly and ship new features frequently, driving continuous improvement and innovation.