Chief Technology Officer

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) – Open Web

We’re creating a healthier web where communities thrive. Open Web is on a mission to increase the quality of conversations online by building technologies that foster engaging, safe, and civil discourse and support independent journalism. Today, we work with more than 5,000 top-tier publishers—including News Corp, Yahoo, CBS, Fox News, Hearst, and Refinery 29—and host 150 million monthly active users.

Founded in 2015, Open Web has over 250 employees across New York City, London, Paris, San Diego, Toronto, and Tel Aviv. We are backed by world‑class investors, including Georgian, Insight Partners, Index Ventures, and AltaIR Capital.

The CTO will serve as a business executive and overall decision‑maker for Open Web’s technology strategy and operations. The CTO will establish and execute the overall technology strategy and ensure that the engineering organization is aligned with the business’s needs and goals.

• Align with the CEO and executive team on business objectives.
• Partner with the Head of Product to prioritize engineering work.
• Identify and prioritize foundational technology and research initiatives.
• Define the roadmap for holistic system architecture to support the product vision and business continuity.
• Communicate business strategy and translate it to technical strategy within the engineering organization.
• Translate technical strategy to the executive team and board.
• Establish and govern the software development lifecycle and technical project management systems.
• Manage an innovation process leveraging information systems and technologies for strategic advantage and cost reduction.
• Direct and manage a distributed technology department.
• Govern departmental budgets, organizational structure, and hiring processes.
• Build a framework for build‑vs‑buy‑vs‑partner decisions.
• Represent the technology department and products to external stakeholders.

• 10+ years in software engineering with 5+ years in senior technology leadership (CTO, SVP Engineering, or equivalent).
• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Proven experience scaling large, distributed systems (preferably high‑traffic consumer or SaaS platforms).
• Deep knowledge of cloud architecture (AWS/GCP), Dev Ops, CI/CD, and Agile methodologies.
• Hands‑on experience with data, analytics, AI/ML, and content moderation technologies.
• Track record of leading global engineering teams (50+ FTEs) focused on collaboration and delivery.
• Strong background in real‑time systems, APIs, and data pipelines.
• Demonstrated success in aligning technology strategy with business outcomes.
• Familiarity with Trust & Safety, moderation, or community management systems preferred.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders.
• Customer‑first and results‑driven mindset.
• Must be able to join us in our New York office 3 x a week.

• Experience in media, ad‑tech, or social/community platforms.
• Passion for Open Web’s mission of healthier online conversations.
• Values transparency, ethics, and inclusion in technology and leadership.
• Balance of strategic vision and hands‑on technical understanding.

• Annual salary: $325,000–$375,000 (based on experience).
• Equity and benefits, including premium health benefits (subsidized 100% for employees), comprehensive vision, medical, and dental through Aetna.
• 401 k + matching up to 4%.
• Uncapped PTO policy.
• Phone reimbursement.
• Telehealth plan with 24/7 access to mental and physical healthcare providers.
• Company‑sponsored life and accidental insurance.
• Team events, holiday parties, and outings.
• Career growth and ownership opportunities.
• Amazing coworkers.

We offer a dynamic, unconventional work environment spanning from NYC to Tel Aviv. Our global team includes world‑class techies, wordsmiths, entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers. Every team member has autonomy over their role and projects from start to finish, enabling them to have lasting impact.

Open Web is committed to building diverse teams and upholding an equal‑employment workplace that is free from discrimination. We hire amazing individuals regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, pregnancy, medical conditions, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.

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