Chief Technology Officer

Description:

Chief Executive Officer

COMPANY OVERVIEW
We are an early-stage biotech venture at the convergence of machine learning, reproductive medicine, and human and animal genomics. Our mission is to dramatically expand the boundaries of what is knowable and actionable in fertility care — from pre-conception genetic risk stratification to carrier screening and personalised treatment protocols guided by machine learning.
 
We are building the foundational data and computational infrastructure that will define the next generation of reproductive health. We move with the urgency of a startup and the rigour of a regulated medical device and diagnostics company.
 

THE OPPORTUNITY

 
As founding CTO, you will be the primary architect of our technology platform, spanning genomics pipelines, AI/ML model development, clinical data systems, and the secure, compliant infrastructure that binds them together. You will partner directly with the CEO and Chief Scientific Officer to translate biological insight into scalable, regulatory-ready software and products. This is a unique opportunity to shape the technical soul of a company that could redefine how millions of people start families and how farmers across the world manage breeding decisions.
 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

 
Technology Vision & Architecture

• Define and own the end-to-end technology strategy, from data ingestion at the clinic and farm-level to AI-driven decision support tools.
• Architect a modular, cloud-native platform capable of processing whole-genome sequencing, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data at scale.
• Establish a coherent data model and ontology that bridges genomic, phenotypic, and clinical/farm outcome data across diverse cohorts.
• Evaluate build vs. buy vs. partner decisions across the technology stack with rigour and speed.
 
AI & Machine Learning

• Lead the design and deployment of ML models for embryo viability prediction, polygenic risk scoring, variant classification, and outcome modelling.
• Champion responsible AI principles: interpretability, bias auditing, clinical validation, and uncertainty quantification in high-stakes contexts.
• Stay at the frontier of foundation models in biology and genomics and identify opportunities to leverage them.
 
Genomics & Bioinformatics

• Oversee the development of robust, reproducible bioinformatics pipelines for variant calling, CNV analysis, PGT-A/M/SR data processing, and polygenic scoring.
• Ensure pipeline validation meets the evidence standards required by CAP/CLIA, CE-IVD, or FDA De Novo pathways as applicable.
• Partner with laboratory directors and clinical geneticists to ensure software and product outputs integrate with established workflows.
 
Product & Engineering Leadership

• Recruit, mentor, and inspire a world-class multidisciplinary engineering team spanning software, ML, bioinformatics, and data engineering.
• Establish engineering culture: psychological safety, high standards, iterative delivery, and a bias toward evidence over opinion.
• Own the product technology roadmap and work closely with clinical, commercial, and regulatory teams to prioritise effectively.
• Drive system reliability, security posture, and disaster recovery in a HIPAA/GDPR-regulated environment.
 
Regulatory & Compliance

• Architect systems with regulatory approval as a first-class requirement, embedding 21 CFR Part 11, IEC 62304, and ISO 13485 principles from day one, as applicable.
• Represent the technology organisation in interactions with regulatory bodies, external auditors, investors, and institutional review boards.
• Build and maintain a quality management system (QMS) appropriate to an AI-enabled diagnostic developer.
 
Strategic & External Engagement

• Serve as a credible external voice: publishing, speaking at conferences, and building scientific and technical credibility with partners, customers, and investors.
• Identify, negotiate, and manage strategic technology partnerships with academic medical centres, sequencing technology providers, and cloud platform vendors.
• Support fundraising efforts by clearly articulating the technology differentiation and defensibility to investors.
 

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

 
Required

• 10+ years of progressive technology leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior engineering or CTO-level role.
• Demonstrated track record building and shipping production AI/ML systems, ideally in healthcare, genomics, or a related life-science domain.
• Deep expertise in at least two of: genomic data processing (NGS pipelines, variant interpretation), clinical AI/ML model development, or regulated medical software (SaMD / IVD).
• Experience leading high-performing, cross-functional engineering and data science teams in a resource-constrained environment.
• Solid grounding in cloud architecture (AWS, GCP, or Azure), data platform design, and modern MLOps practices.
• Familiarity with healthcare data privacy regulations (HIPAA, GDPR) and comfort operating within a compliance-first culture.