Chief Technology Officer

Chief Technology Officer

• Remote / U.S.-Based (East Coast hours preferred)
• Target salary is $265-285K base ($300K ceiling for the right candidate) + Bonus potential up to 16.25% of annual salary

Our client, a rapidly growing organization supporting the Department of Defense and the broader defense innovation ecosystem, is seeking a Chief Technology Officer to lead its enterprise technology, cybersecurity, data, AI, and digital-product strategy.

This is an executive-team opportunity for a strategic builder who is still an operator. The CTO will define the organization’s long-term technology vision while remaining closely involved in several business-critical initiatives, including CMMC readiness, enterprise standardization, data integration, secure AI adoption, M&A planning, and technology-team development.

Our client has grown from approximately 15 to 100 employees over the past five years and expects to potentially double or triple in size through organic growth, new government programs, and acquisitions. The incoming CTO will have the authority, executive support, and financial resources to build the technology organization needed for that next stage.

What You’ll Lead:

• Establish the enterprise technology, cybersecurity, data, AI, and digital-product strategy.
• Lead active CMMC readiness initiatives and help ensure successful third-party assessment.
• Strengthen the organization’s security posture across NIST 800-171, CUI, DFARS, ITAR, FedRAMP, and related federal requirements.
• Centralize technology governance, platform ownership, support, and purchasing across historically decentralized departments.
• Evaluate the current technology team, vendors, and managed-service partners and determine what should be built internally, purchased, or outsourced.
• Modernize and integrate enterprise platforms, including Salesforce and other cloud-based business systems.
• Develop the organization’s future data architecture, including data governance, integrations, analytics, and potential data-lake or warehouse capabilities.
• Define a secure AI strategy for sensitive and potentially classified information.
• Help transform proprietary defense-procurement data into new analytics, products, and customer solutions.
• Lead technology planning, diligence, and integration for potential acquisitions and mergers.
• Build and mentor a high-performing organization across IT, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, data, and related technology functions.
• Translate technology investments into measurable improvements in risk, scalability, operational efficiency, customer value, and revenue growth.

What We’re Looking For:

• 15+ years of progressive technology leadership experience.
• Current or recent experience as a CTO, CIO/CTO, division CTO, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, SVP of Technology, or similarly senior executive.
• Experience supporting the Department of Defense, federal government, defense industrial base, or another highly regulated and security-sensitive environment.
• Strong knowledge of federal cybersecurity and compliance requirements such as CMMC, NIST 800-171, CUI, DFARS, ITAR, export controls, and FedRAMP.
• Leadership experience spanning enterprise IT, cybersecurity, applications, infrastructure, data, architecture, and vendors.
• Experience scaling technology capabilities within a rapidly growing or changing organization.
• Demonstrated success leading M&A technology diligence and post-transaction integration.
• Strong judgment around build-versus-buy and internal-versus-outsourced operating models.
• Experience developing AI, automation, analytics, or data-product strategies in a secure environment.
• Ability to operate at the executive and board level while remaining closely engaged with high-priority programs and technical decisions.
• A leadership style suited to ambiguity, rapid change, competing priorities, and an established-startup environment.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Particularly Valuable Experience:

• CMMC Level 2 assessment or certification.
• FedRAMP Moderate or High environments.
• Private AI, secure analytics, or classified-data platforms.
• Salesforce-centered enterprise ecosystems.
• Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, or comparable enterprise data platforms.
• Technology-enabled product development or commercialization.
• Scaling a company or technology organization from approximately 100 employees into the several-hundred-employee range.
• Supporting acquisitions that materially increased company headcount or operating complexity.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This CTO will join the executive team and play a central role in shaping the future of a financially stable, mission-driven organization. Our client helps reduce friction in the DoD procurement process, allowing innovative and nontraditional suppliers to bring satellite, missile, drone, radar, and other critical technologies into the field faster.

The right person will have the opportunity to:

• Build the future technology organization.
• Influence company, product, and acquisition strategy.
• Work on meaningful national-security initiatives.
• Create secure AI and data capabilities around a highly valuable proprietary data set.
• Join a company with long-term government contracts and significant growth potential.
• Receive strong executive sponsorship and meaningful investment in technology.

Compensation: Approximately $265,000 - 300,000 base salary plus up to 16.25% annual bonus with a strong history of payout. The company also offers an exceptional benefits package and five weeks of executive PTO.

This is a remote, U.S.-based position. East Coast availability is preferred due to the company’s customer and leadership footprint.