Founding Technical Lead / CTO

About the Company

NuboVault is building a new cloud management and optimization platform aimed at bringing a user’s scattered digital world together in one secure, passwordless dashboard. The product is designed to unify cloud storage services such as Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox, along with local devices and address book data, into a single experience.

The team already has an 82-page interactive visual prototype that has been tested as a concept and UX foundation. The next step is to turn that prototype into a production-ready MVP during a strict Q3/Q4 build sprint. Since the product is built around foundational digital trust, zero-knowledge architecture, and passwordless security, the company is looking for a founding engineering leader to create the technical base of the platform before the team scales.

Role Details

• This is an on-site position in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• The engagement is full-time and part of the founding executive team.
• You will report directly to the Founder & CEO, who is non-technical.

Your First 30 Days

The role is not about immediately writing random product features. The expectation is to take full technical ownership, reduce execution risk, and define the engineering truth for the business. The first month follows a structured week-by-week plan.

• Week 1 — Technical audit: Review the 82-page interactive prototype, identify the API connections, rate constraints, and authentication flows needed for the first target cloud providers, and create a clear list of the five biggest technical risks.
• Week 2 — Security design: Specify the encryption approach, zero-knowledge model, and key management strategy. Make the build-versus-buy decisions for infrastructure and outline the external security audit required before launch.
• Week 3 — MVP planning and hiring: Reduce the prototype into a lean MVP backlog and advise the founder on the exact team structure needed. Use AI-accelerated workflows to assess whether the projected three-developer team is necessary or whether a smaller, more efficient team is sufficient.
• Week 4 — Working proof of architecture: Deliver a thin end-to-end implementation such as connecting one provider, indexing metadata, and displaying records securely to validate the architecture in production conditions. Also present final cost and burn projections for the upcoming pre-seed raise.

Core Responsibilities

• Design and own secure token-handling workflows, implement OAuth 2.0 at scale, and build passwordless authentication flows that are both secure and easy to use.
• Create the security architecture, including zero-knowledge encryption patterns and modern cryptography practices such as AES-256 and TLS 1.3.
• Build high-performance background parsing systems and hash-based deduplication logic that can process thousands of cloud and local directories without slowing down the product.
• Set engineering standards, repository policies, and automated deployment processes for the team.
• Lead technical screening, testing, and interviews for future full-stack and mobile engineering hires after the first month.
• Use AI development tools to speed up delivery while ensuring that all security-sensitive and data-handling code is reviewed carefully by senior humans before release.

Candidate Profile

• At least 5 years of software engineering experience, ideally with prior experience as a Tech Lead, Principal Engineer, or Founding Developer at a fast-growing SaaS startup, cybersecurity company, or VC-backed business.
• You should be capable of selecting the core technical stack within the first two weeks, with proven experience building scalable backends using technologies such as Node.js, Go, or Python, along with modern frontend and database systems.
• You must bring strong engineering judgment, direct communication, and the ability to explain trade-offs and technical compromises clearly to a non-technical founder.
• The role demands radical candor, a commitment to engineering integrity, and a preference for surfacing bad news early rather than hiding defects.

Compensation & Equity

The company is operating with strict capital discipline while preparing for an institutional pre-seed round. Compensation is structured to support a founding team through the early phase while providing meaningful equity upside.

• A fixed monthly stipend or salary tailored to your location and seniority.
• Founding team equity in the range of 2.5% to 5.0%, depending on experience and structural fit.
• Equity is offered through a protective Delaware C-Corp stock option plan with a standard 4-year vesting schedule and a 1-year cliff.
• You will have direct ownership in the global platform you help build from the ground up.

Additional Information

This role sits at the center of the company’s technical strategy and is intended for someone who can shape the architecture, guide the build, and help make early decisions that influence product, security, hiring, and runway planning.