Chief Technology Officer

The Role

As the CTO of Overstory, you will lead and scale a world-class engineering team that reduces the risk of wildfires and power outages around the world. This is a rare opportunity for a seasoned engineering leader to help guide a commercially successful climate-tech company through its next stage of growth.

Following our Series B, we’re entering a phase of rapid expansion. You will define a compelling technical strategy and build the team to deliver it. This role requires someone who can zoom in and out seamlessly — rolling up your sleeves to solve complex technical problems while also communicating effectively with the board.

What A Successful Candidate Looks Like

• You’re an entrepreneurial startup leader with a track record of leading engineering teams from Series A through Series C and beyond with a mix of boldness and empathy.
• You understand the ups and downs that are normal at VC-backed startups. You know how to inspire global teams with an exciting vision while offering them the hands-on support to bring it to life.
• You have a strong network to tap, and you are bold in your recruiting. You’re not afraid to hire people who know more than you and to stretch for top talent, and you understand that recruiting is a top priority that requires constant networking and attention.
• You will build a diverse team that has a high-performing, inclusive, and caring culture.

About You

• Traits we value:
• Boldness: You’re not afraid to make hard decisions and take risks, and you always act with urgency.
• Mission-driven: You care deeply about building great products that help communities adapt to climate change by creating a more resilient electrical grid.
• Empathy: You can attract and develop a diverse team, and you are inclusive in your approach to leadership.
• Listening: You lead with inquiry. You make people on your own team and across the company feel heard.
• Curiosity: Learning excites you, and you’re not afraid to admit what you don’t know.
• Clarity: You’re a simplifier, not a complicator, and you can communicate clearly to a broad audience without using jargon.
• Collaborative spirit: Team above ego, and you’re never afraid to get your hands dirty.

Experience we value

• You have managed a team of 70+ people.
• You have been on a VC-backed startup journey from Series A through Series C or later, and you know how to scale a team successfully through those transitions. You value the entrepreneurial “get it done fast” spirit of the early days, while also setting a standard for excellence that will scale to later stages.
• You have experience working on a complex, ML-based product. Bonus points for geospatial or remote sensing experience.
• You have a deep understanding of software development processes and are product-centric in the way you think about building technology.
• You have experienced the value of cross-functional teams where engineering, product and design work side-by-side.
• You have managed remote teams.
• You have managed global teams.

What We Offer

• Competitive, location-specific compensation and benefits
• Flexible, autonomous and collaborative working environment rooted in trust - we build our work days around our lives, not the other way around
• Home office stipend, coworking and ongoing education budgets
• A company culture that genuinely embodies each of our core values

About Our Team

• We are a group of 100 people from all over the world. Fifteen nationalities are represented in our team and at last count we speak fourteen languages: English, Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Luxembourgish, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Estonian, and Danish.
• We work remotely from eleven countries and are looking for candidates that are living and working in one of them: United States, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Estonia, Portugal, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Canada. We gather once a year in-person for our unforgettable team gathering event. We also offer the option to occasionally meet up for in-person collaboration.

Diversity & Inclusion

• The climate crisis is a human crisis that requires diverse perspectives to solve.
• We place enormous value on diversity and believe that the best ideas emerge when people with different backgrounds and experience work together. We remain committed to scaling a team that reflects the communities we serve, and strive to uphold equitable and inclusive practices across every aspect of our business.
• We are responsible for creating and maintaining a culture where everyone - regardless of background - has a voice in building a sustainable future.

Use of AI in Our Hiring Process

• We sometimes use AI tools to support parts of our hiring process, such as helping us manage applications more efficiently or ensuring job descriptions are clear and inclusive. All hiring decisions are always made by people, not machines. Any data processed by AI is handled securely in line with GDPR and our Privacy Notice.

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