CTO & Co-founder

DataNerds is building Thor, AI for compliance files.

Thor is our answer to one question. How can a company use AI on its most sensitive data under a single jurisdiction, on local infrastructure, with the legislation built into the model instead of a layer around it? Development is planned to start on 1 November 2026, in a programme with clear work packages and fixed decision points.

We are looking for a CTO who joins us at the table as a co-founder. Not someone who only builds, but someone who leads R&D, makes the case for technical choices and makes sure that what we agree on actually gets delivered, within the work packages and on time. You discuss progress with the founder/CEO every day. Once a month we meet with our advisory board, experienced people with long careers as CIOs, board members, executive coaches and innovation experts.

What you do

• You steer the technical development of Thor 1.0 / 2.0 and lead the AI engineers.
• You keep track of the planning, the quality and the milestones of each work package, and you flag early when something is not feasible.
• You sit at the decision table with the founder and the advisory board, and you explain technical options in terms of risk, cost and time.

What you bring

• A master's degree in engineering, computer science or a related technical field.
• At least 3 years in software development, part of it as a lead or architect in production environments at large companies.
• Experience with fine-tuning and deploying LLMs, or the drive to learn this quickly together with our team.
• Knowledge of secure infrastructure and of what an auditor wants to see. GDPR, NIS2, the EU AI Act and governance are a plus.
• Experience with SAP or another ERP landscape is a plus, not a requirement.
• You dare to say no when something is wrong, and you can explain why.
• You stay calm when things go wrong and know how to limit the damage.
• You get energy and satisfaction from solving complex problems.

What we offer

• A co-founder share of up to 20 percent, vesting over four years. A personal investment is welcome and counts towards the split.
• A permanent contract in due course, after a six-month trial period in which you work closely with the founder and CEO.
• A product that already has a market, a pending grant application, and partners ready to go.
• An advisory board with a former CIO who knows this field from the customer's side.
• A strong team with expertise in legal, engineering and sales.

Practical

• At least three days a week from November 2026, full time from 2027.
• Leuven (legal), Ghent (engineering) and the data centre in Diegem. Partly remote is possible.
• Send a short email to sara@datanerds.be about what you have built and why this appeals to you. No CV needed in the first round, just a cup of coffee and your expertise.