CTO (AI Focus)
Chief Technology Officer (AI/ML)
Andiamo · Defense Technology / AI/ML · 10-50 employees · 📍 Boston, MA
Founding CTO hire to architect and lead the AI/ML platform at a defense-sector startup in hyper-growth, requiring rare combination of deep ML engineering and defense compliance expertise.
AI Maturity
building
Reports To
CEO
Why Role Exists
New position
Company Stage
startup
Source
linkedin
Key Responsibilities
- Define and own AI/ML platform architecture from the ground up
- Lead and scale engineering organization through hyper-growth phase
- Navigate defense procurement processes, compliance, and security requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, CMMC, ITAR)
- Translate AI/ML research and capabilities into defensible, production-grade systems
- Partner with CEO and founders on technical strategy and investor/customer narratives
Requirements
- Deep hands-on AI/ML engineering expertise (model development, MLOps, infrastructure)
- Experience building and leading engineering teams at early-stage startups
- Familiarity with or ability to operate within defense/government technology environments
Signals
- ⚠ No salary range disclosed — opacity on comp at C-level is a friction point for senior candidates
- ⚠ Same role posted at least twice (May 2026 duplicates) suggesting difficulty closing a candidate
- ⚠ Two simultaneous CTO postings with slightly different framings may indicate role scope is still undefined
- ⚠ Location ambiguity — Boston vs. San Francisco across postings raises questions about where the company is actually based
- ✓ Founding-level designation signals meaningful equity upside
- ✓ Defense AI is a high-funding, high-demand sector with strong tailwinds (2025-2026 DoD AI budget expansion)
- ✓ Hyper-growth framing suggests revenue traction or significant venture capital backing
- ✓ Recruiter (Andiamo) appears to be a specialized executive search firm, suggesting client is serious about the hire
Company History
Two near-identical CTO postings appear simultaneously in May 2026 — one defense-specific (Boston), one broader platform/AI (San Francisco) — suggesting either two distinct clients or a single company that has not yet closed a candidate and may be iterating on the role definition. The repeated posting pattern warrants a direct conversation about role clarity and why previous search attempts did not result in a hire.