Hong Kong CTO / Head of Software R&D – AI & Technology IP Company

# Hong Kong CTO / Head of Software R&D - AI & Technology Company ## About the Company We are building an early-stage international technology group headquartered in Hong Kong, with a strong focus on software, AI, data, cloud technology and digital platforms. Within the group, one Hong Kong company is dedicated to the ownership, management and further development of the group's core software technology. A substantial part of the initial technology platform has already been developed. We are now moving from the founder-led development phase toward a professionally managed R&D organisation. For this next phase, we are looking for a **Hong Kong-based CTO / Head of Software R&D**. ## The Role The CTO will be responsible for the **technical strategy, architecture, R&D management and development oversight** of the company's software technology. This is not intended to be a purely advisory or title-only position. We are looking for someone who can take genuine responsibility for the technology function and exercise substantive technical judgment on behalf of the company. The CTO does **not need to personally write all software**. Our intended model is that the CTO defines and controls the technical direction, independent developers and specialist contractors execute development, and the CTO supervises, reviews and accepts the work. This allows us to build an international development organisation while maintaining central technical leadership and consistent software architecture. ## Key Responsibilities The CTO will be responsible for areas including: * Technology and software strategy * Software architecture and technical standards * R&D planning and technical roadmaps * Evaluating existing software and technical infrastructure * Translating business requirements into technical development projects * Defining technical specifications and development milestones * Selecting and evaluating developers, engineers and specialist contractors * Supervising outsourced and distributed software development * Reviewing source code, architecture and technical deliverables * Managing technical quality and development standards * Approving or rejecting technical deliverables * Release and deployment oversight * Security and technology-risk oversight * Technical documentation * Maintaining appropriate development and R&D records * Supporting protection of the company's software IP * Managing appropriate use of open-source software and third-party technology * Reporting material technology matters to the board The CTO will operate within authority formally delegated by the company's board. ## R&D and Software IP Responsibility An important part of the role is maintaining a clear relationship between **R&D activity and software IP ownership**. The company will directly engage developers and development contractors where appropriate. The CTO will oversee this development on behalf of the company. For material R&D projects, the intended process will generally include project definition, technical specification, budget and approval, contractor engagement, development, CTO supervision, technical review, acceptance, and updating the relevant IP and development records. The CTO will therefore play an important role in ensuring that the company actively manages and controls the development of its software rather than merely passively owning software IP. ## Development Model We expect to work with an international network of independent software engineers, AI engineers, DevOps specialists and other technical contractors. The CTO should be comfortable managing a distributed engineering environment. Depending on the project, developers may be located in different countries. The CTO will be expected to: * Determine appropriate technical requirements * Evaluate the technical competence of contractors * Allocate development work * Monitor progress and technical risks * Review milestones * Challenge inadequate work * Require corrections where necessary * Accept completed deliverables * Maintain architectural consistency across projects The CTO should therefore be capable of managing engineering rather than simply acting as an intermediary between the founder and developers. ## Relationship With the Founder and Board The founder and shareholder will communicate the broader business vision and proposed product opportunities. The CTO is expected to independently translate those objectives into appropriate technology and R&D decisions within the authority delegated by the company. The CTO should be comfortable challenging technical proposals from the founder when another architecture, technology or development approach would be better for the company. Material matters outside the CTO's delegated authority will be submitted to the board for consideration. ## Relationship With Commercial Companies Separate operating companies within the group will commercially exploit technology licensed from the company. The CTO may therefore work with commercial teams to understand product requirements and technical priorities. However, the CTO's primary responsibility is **software, technology, R&D and technical IP management**. Day-to-day sales, marketing, pricing and customer acquisition are not intended to be part of this position. ## What We Are Looking For Ideally, you: * Are currently based in Hong Kong * Have substantial software engineering or technology leadership experience * Have experience as a CTO, Head of Engineering, Lead Engineer, Software Architect or similar * Have strong software architecture knowledge * Understand modern cloud-based software development * Are comfortable working with AI-assisted development and AI engineering * Can manage distributed developers and independent contractors * Can evaluate technical work rather than relying entirely on developers' own assessment * Understand software security and technical risk * Have experience with Git-based development workflows * Can create and maintain appropriate technical documentation * Are commercially pragmatic rather than purely academic * Can exercise independent technical judgment * Are interested in building a long-term technology platform from an early stage Experience with SaaS platforms, AI, data infrastructure, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity or large distributed systems would be particularly relevant. ## Position and Authority This position is initially intended as a **substantive executive technology role rather than automatically a statutory directorship**. The CTO will receive genuine delegated authority over defined technology and R&D matters without needing to become a statutory director solely for that purpose. A future board appointment can be considered separately if appropriate as the company develops. ## Current Stage The group is currently **pre-revenue**. This gives us the opportunity to establish the technology organisation, governance structure and development processes before the business reaches significant scale. The existing software provides a substantial starting point, while future development will increasingly be organised through the company under the CTO's technical leadership. The initial workload and compensation should reflect the current early-stage position and can develop as R&D activity, revenue and responsibilities increase. ## Compensation We are open to discussing an appropriate **monthly retainer or part-time executive arrangement** during the initial pre-revenue phase. We are particularly interested in finding the right long-term person rather than simply filling the position. Compensation and time commitment can increase as the company grows and the technology organisation becomes larger. ## Application Please provide a short introduction covering: * Your current location in Hong Kong * Your software engineering background * Previous CTO, engineering leadership or architecture experience * Technologies and programming environments you know well * Experience managing remote developers or contractors * Experience with AI, SaaS, cloud, data or infrastructure platforms * Your current professional activities * Your general availability * Your expected monthly retainer for an initial part-time and pre-revenue engagement Please also briefly describe **one software platform or technically complex project for which you had meaningful architectural or development responsibility**, and explain your specific role. Selected candidates will initially have an informal video call with the founder to discuss the technology, existing platform, proposed R&D structure and long-term vision. Before formal appointment, the candidate will be able to review the proposed technology governance framework, responsibilities and delegated authority and provide their own input.