CTO (Defense Technology / Embedded / Software Systems)

Data Science UA is a service company with deep expertise in AI and Data Science. Our story started in 2016 with the first Data Science UA Conference in Kyiv, and since then, we’ve built one of the largest AI communities in Europe. 

About the role and the client:
We are looking for a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for a consulting company delivering hardware and software solutions for defense projects.
The CTO will be the primary technical authority, responsible for system architecture, product viability, and engineering leadership — from idea conception to field deployment.

This role is ideal for a systems engineer and technical leader capable of designing complex end-to-end solutions and managing multi-disciplinary teams (hardware, embedded, software, AI/DSP).

In defence technology, mistakes in architecture are costly.
This role is about responsibility, systems thinking, and creating technologies that work in real operational conditions, not just look good in presentations.

Key Responsibilities:
- Define the company’s technical strategy and R&D directions.
- Design end-to-end systems (sensor → compute → comms → operator / effect).
- Provide architectural oversight for hardware, embedded, AI/DSP, and software teams.
- Participate in presales and technical client discussions.
- Evaluate and select new projects or solutions (go/no-go decisions).
- Collaborate with field teams to analyze real-world testing results.
- Manage the transition from prototype to working product and scalable solution.
- Build, mentor, and develop engineering teams.
- Select technologies, define architecture, and establish engineering processes.

Requirements:
- 5+ years of experience in systems engineering / embedded / robotics / avionics / radar / RF / EW / UAV / defense technology.
- Proven experience integrating hardware + embedded + software.
- Strong systems-level thinking and experience designing complex technical solutions.
- Understanding of field constraints: latency, reliability, maintainability, and real-world operational conditions.
- Track record of taking products from prototype → MVP → deployment/production.
- Experience managing engineering teams.
- Experience in client-facing technical roles / presales / solution architecture.
- English: Advanced.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in one or more areas: UAV / RF / EW / radar / sensing / avionics / robotics.
- Ex-military engineer or experience working closely with operational military units.
- Experience with serial production or scaling complex systems.
- Proven ability to build R&D or engineering departments from scratch.
- Background in miltech / defence / robotics / telecom hardware companies.

Ideal Candidate:
- Thinks in systems, not just components.
- Can confidently say “this won’t work” and propose alternatives.
- Focused on results in the field, not presentations.
- Capable of making technical decisions under uncertainty.
- Strong leadership in client and engineering team interactions.
- Motivated to build products from scratch and shape the company’s technical direction.

What the Company Offers:
- Participation in defence technology projects.
- Exposure to hardware + embedded + software products.
- Active involvement in presales and technical strategy.
- Health insurance.
- 24 days of vacation.
- Office/lab in Kyiv.
- Opportunity to influence technical strategy and build the engineering organization.