Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / Head of Engineering

This role is onsite in Los Angeles, CA

About

We are revolutionizing the audiobook industry by integrating generative AI conversation capabilities into every book. We're building a platform that allows listeners to engage in real-time conversations with their favorite authors, educators, coaches, and experts, creating a highly personalized and immersive reading experience. For authors, we offer scalable audience engagement, actionable data insights, and significantly higher royalties.

The Role

We're seeking a visionary and hands-on Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / VP of Engineering to join our founding team and lead the development of our multi-faceted, AI-enabled audiobook platform. In this role, you will be responsible for translating our ambitious vision into technological reality, building and leading our engineering and AI/ML teams, and driving innovation across our subscription, content delivery, and AI analytics systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the technical strategy for our platform, aligning it with our business goals and multi-tiered product vision

• Lead the architecture, design, and implementation of our AI-enabled audiobook platform, including: 

  • Subscription management system

  • Secure paywall and content delivery infrastructure

  • AI-driven analytics and recommendation engine 

• Build and manage high-performing engineering and AI/ML teams

• Drive innovation in AI technologies, particularly in natural language processing, conversational AI, and predictive analytics

• Collaborate closely with the Product team to ensure seamless integration of technology across all platform features

• Make key decisions on technology stack, infrastructure, and scalability to support multiple revenue streams

• Establish best practices for software development, code quality, and technical documentation

• Implement robust data collection and analysis systems to power our author-facing AI teammate

• Ensure platform security and compliance, particularly for payment processing and user data protection

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, particularly in AI, machine learning, and subscription-based platforms

• Work closely with the CEO and other executives to shape the overall company strategy and explore new technological opportunities

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5 years in leadership roles

• Strong background in AI and machine learning, particularly in NLP, conversational AI, and predictive analytics

• Extensive experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture and its implementation in large-scale AI systems

• Proven track record of building and scaling consumer-facing subscription platforms

• Experience developing secure payment systems and content delivery infrastructures

• Expertise in designing and implementing data pipelines for AI-driven analytics and recommendations

• Experience leading engineering teams in fast-paced startup environments

• Deep understanding of cloud technologies and scalable architecture to support multiple product offerings

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

• Strong product sense and user-centric approach to technology development

• Experience with audio technologies is a plus

• Passion for books, audiobooks, and the future of digital content

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics or any other basis forbidden under federal, state, or local law.