The Role Of The CTO

When an idea for a business has blossomed, the CTO acts as a practical engineer, validating the technical feasibility of the business plan. The CTO (at this stage) is sometimes a co-founder and must be prepared to build the digital product architecture often without third-party help. As the role of a CTO changes according to the stage of that company’s life-cycle, we’ll briefly detail how a CTOs responsibilities may change. Whether that company is newly established, or an established corporate entity is an important factor in what a CTO is responsible for. Keep in mind there’s no uniform standard for a CTOs role and responsibilities.

In other industries, security and compliance usually take a much higher priority. Understanding enterprise risk and standards can be painful but extremely valuable knowledge. Technical domain knowledge – In the tech realm, previous experience and strong knowledge of the industry is vital. Sometimes a CTO can learn along the way, in tech, it’s a little more complicated.

Similar job titles include:

While research and development have been a component of businesses for many years, the rise of information technology (IT) and computers has increased the importance of the chief technology officer. Companies focusing on scientific and electronic products employ CTOs who are responsible for the oversight of intellectual property and have backgrounds in the industry. Despite the titles, the CTO has more of an outward-looking, strategic planning role, while the CIO has more of a technology-focused, operational role. Generally, a CIO is responsible for technologies that run the company’s internal operations and business procedures. The CTO is responsible for technologies that grow the business externally, implementing services and products that serve clients and customers.

• We are looking for a competent CTO (Chief Technology Officer) who will be our first technology go-to expert and play an integral role in setting the company’s strategic direction, development and future growth.
• CTOs, on the other hand, preside over the overarching technology infrastructure.
• Both positions focus on the engineering, implementation, development and management of technology.
• They are typically in charge of discovering and analyzing how technology processes affect the business, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement.

While not every company needs a CTO, this role can enhance the alignment between a product or service’s strategy and a company’s technology strategy. In midsize to large companies with higher executive budgets, the C-level may include a CIO and a CTO. Both positions focus on the engineering, implementation, development and management of technology.

Hiring CTO (Chief Technology Officer) job description

A CTO focuses on product and strategy, according to Mead, whereas a CIO may be more focused on day-to-day operations. This means the CTO’s focus is not on day-to-day tech issues, but rather the bigger picture. The dilemma is that the CTO is a position that falls somewhere between technical execution, operational management, and executive representation. Product management – Technology and product often go hand-in-hand in the tech space. A top CTO should understand the product life-cycle and how to build new products and maintain existing ones.

This type of CTO may envision how technology will be used within the company while setting the technical strategy for the company. This CTO will also look at how to further implement new technologies within the company to ensure its success. We are looking for an enthusiastic teammate with a technical background, but a bias for commercial execution. This Chief Technology Officer role will require creative thinking and exploration, as it will play a highly influential role in the early framing of our innovation identity, processes, and culture. As businesses become more reliant on technology, the need for security becomes increasingly important.