CTO/ Lead Engineer

CTO / Head of Engineering / Team Lead Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or Cape Town, SA (Remote, Full-Time) Compensation: $4,000–$5,000+ USD/month, commensurate with experience We’re looking for a highly technical engineering leader who can jump into existing projects, move fast, make strong technical decisions, and lead a small but high-performing team. This is a hands-on role for someone who is both an exceptional individual contributor and an engineering leader, with deep experience building and integrating AI-powered products. What You’ll Do Lead architecture and technical direction across backend and full-stack systems Build and integrate AI/ML-powered features and workflows into production products Work with LLMs and modern AI tooling to accelerate product development Jump into active projects and quickly become productive Ship production-quality code fast and reliably Lead and mentor developers while maintaining a high engineering bar Debug complex issues across systems and infrastructure Use modern AI-assisted development workflows (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, etc.) Collaborate closely with product and leadership teams Requirements 5+ years of production software development experience 2+ years leading engineering teams or acting as a tech lead Strong backend engineering experience (full-stack preferred) Proven experience integrating AI/ML models into production applications Experience working with LLM APIs, AI agents, embeddings, RAG systems, or related AI infrastructure Ability to rapidly understand unfamiliar codebases and execute independently Experience with modern coding practices and AI-assisted development Strong debugging and problem-solving skills Strong English speaking and writing skills High ownership mentality and ability to move without heavy supervision Excellent communication and leadership skills Nice to Have Experience with our stack or similar technologies: TypeScript React Go Swift / iOS development AI infrastructure and model deployment Ideal Candidate Extremely strong technically — the type who becomes “the smartest person in the room” Fast learner who thrives in startup environments Comfortable wearing multiple hats Pragmatic builder who focuses on shipping Excellent communicator in English, both written and verbal Deeply familiar with leveraging AI tools to accelerate engineering productivity Excited about building AI-native products and systems Compensation & Benefits Full-time remote role Competitive salary: $4k–$5k USD/month Flexible work environment Opportunity to help shape engineering culture and product direction from an early stage To apply, send: Resume/CV GitHub or portfolio Brief description of projects you’ve led or shipped Examples of AI/ML systems or integrations you’ve built Examples of how you use AI tools in development workflows 5+ years of production software development experience 2+ years leading engineering teams or acting as a tech lead Strong backend engineering experience (full-stack preferred) Proven experience integrating AI/ML models into production applications Experience working with LLM APIs, AI agents, embeddings, RAG systems, or related AI infrastructure Ability to rapidly understand unfamiliar codebases and execute independently Experience with modern coding practices and AI-assisted development Strong debugging and problem-solving skills Strong English speaking and writing skills High ownership mentality and ability to move without heavy supervision Excellent communication and leadership skills Full-time remote role Competitive salary: $4k–$5k USD/month Flexible work environment Opportunity to help shape engineering culture and product direction from an early stage