Chief Technology Officer

About the Role

We are a company creating ERP software tailored for the energy and water utility sectors. By 2029, our vision is to be recognized as the preferred ecosystem for these utilities, presenting a significant technological challenge. We seek a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to report directly to the Executive Board, who will define the target architecture for this ecosystem, make decisive technology choices, and contribute hands-on alongside a compact team of highly skilled professionals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the formulation of the overall technology strategy and target architecture consistent with the 2029 vision, focusing on platform, API, integration, and data architectures that ensure scalable ecosystem growth.
• Establish and uphold architecture principles, technology standards, and protocols addressing security, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
• Make strategic build-versus-buy and partnership decisions with sound economic analysis for the Executive Board.
• Collaborate closely with the VP of R&D, coordinating architecture with delivery through influence rather than hierarchical control.
• Direct a small elite core team tackling critical technology areas; actively engage in architecture reviews, prototypes, and proofs of concept, especially for cloud-native, agentic systems, and data platform technologies.
• Provide technical consultation and support to development groups without formal authority, also serving as a key figure to attract and nurture senior technical talent.
• Represent the company externally, reinforcing technical credibility among customers, partners, and industry peers, while guiding innovation aligned with industry trends such as cloud computing, AI/agentic systems, and regulatory changes including smart meter initiatives.
• Engage in key technical forums, customer engagements, and within the Harris Computer Group to solidify the company’s technological leadership.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Extensive experience as a CTO, Chief Architect, Head of Architecture, or equivalent senior technical leadership role within a reputable software or SaaS firm.
• Proven stewardship over architecture for large, long-standing software systems, preferably in ERP, platform solutions, or regulated market sectors.
• Strong expertise in AWS cloud services and open-source technologies, with notable competency in API, platform, data, and security architectures.
• Ability to strategize at board level and willingness to engage directly in coding, brainstorming, and architectural decision making.
• In-depth familiarity with emerging technologies like cloud-native solutions, platform engineering, generative AI/agentic systems, and modern data frameworks.
• Leadership style that emphasizes influence, argumentation, and credibility over authority, capable of achieving consensus while decisively driving outcomes.
• Experience collaborating with executive and supervisory boards, and operating within complex group or holding company structures.
• Proven partnership approach working alongside VP R&D or similar roles, focusing on impact through influence rather than command.
• Fluent business-level command of English.

Desirable Skills and Industry Knowledge

• Background in energy or water utility sectors, market communication standards (e.g., GPKE, GeLi Gas, WiM), or other regulated domains.
• Experience formulating platform and ecosystem strategies including APIs, marketplaces, and ISV partnerships.
• Advanced knowledge of AWS technologies such as EKS, Aurora, EventBridge, Bedrock, IAM, and open-source tools including Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Kafka, Terraform, and observability frameworks.
• Experience in corporate mergers & acquisitions, carve-outs, or integration within group structures.
• Track record in building and leading technical communities and recruiting senior technology professionals.
• German language skills are an advantage.