CTO & Co-Founder - OpenExpert.ai

CTO & Co-Founder - Open Expert.ai

Department: Studio

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Cambridge

Reporting To: CEO

About Open Expert.

AI

Open Expert.

AI is building a Digital Subject Matter Expert for the energy sector—an AI system capable of expert reasoning, real‑time diagnostics, and proactive guidance for power plants, transmission networks, and distributed energy assets.

This is not a chatbot. It is the intelligence layer for the modern grid.

Energy reliability is a $50B+ global challenge. Aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and renewable integration are creating system complexity that exceeds human capacity.

The next leap will come from AI systems that can reason across multi‑modal data, think like experienced operators, and guide real‑world decisions.

If we succeed, we strengthen critical infrastructure and accelerate the energy transition.

This is a founder role
, not a traditional CTO position.

We are looking for someone who has built in ambiguity, shipped quickly with limited resources, and taken full ownership of products from 0 → 1.

You will co‑found and build this company from day one alongside C10 Labs
.

• Own and define the technical vision and architecture of the Open Expert.ai platform from 0 → 1
• Build the initial product yourself (hands‑on coding expected early) before scaling a team
• Design and develop AI systems for reasoning, diagnostics, and real‑time decision support across complex data environments
• Work directly with customers (utilities, operators, industrial partners) to shape product and validate use cases
• Rapidly iterate from prototype → pilot → production with urgency and limited resources
• Recruit and build the initial engineering team once product‑market signal is established
• Make pragmatic decisions on tradeoffs, speed vs scale, and product direction
• Partner with CEO on fundraising, technical narrative, and go‑to‑market strategy
• Operate as a true co‑founder with ownership across product, engineering, and company‑building

• Former founder or early employee (0–10 / 0–20 stage) at a startup
• Experience building and shipping products from scratch
  , not just scaling or managing
• Comfortable being hands‑on and scrappy
  , especially in early stages
• Proven ability to operate in ambiguity without structure or large teams
• Strong experience building with LLMs, AI systems, or complex data environments
• Experience working with multi‑modal or real‑world data systems (time‑series, sensor, text, etc.)
• Solid foundation in distributed systems, APIs, and cloud infrastructure
• Ability to move between research, prototyping, and production systems
• Able to own product direction
  , not just technical execution
• Experience working directly with users or customers to shape solutions
• Strong bias for speed, iteration, and shipping
• Experience in energy, industrial systems, or critical infrastructure
• Familiarity with SCADA/OT systems or industrial environments
• Background in predictive systems, diagnostics, or decision‑support tools

To ensure alignment, this role is likely not a fit if you:

• Have primarily worked in large, structured organizations
• Prefer managing teams over building products directly
• Are looking for a pure CTO/executive leadership role without hands‑on work
• Have not operated in early‑stage startup environments

• Co‑founder equity with meaningful ownership from day one
• Competitive compensation post‑fundraise
• Backing from C10 Labs (capital, talent, and company‑building support)
• Access to customers, advisors, and industry partners
• Full autonomy to shape product, team, and technical direction
• Opportunity to build a company solving real‑world, high‑stakes infrastructure challenges
• Flexible hybrid work (NYC or Cambridge)