CTO (Defense Technology / AI / Embedded 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:

We are looking for a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for delivering AI, software, embedded, and hardware solutions for defense projects.

This role combines technical leadership, system architecture, project evaluation, and presales activities. The CTO will act as the primary technical authority, helping assess new opportunities, define solution concepts, evaluate project feasibility, and guide engineering teams from idea conception to field deployment.

We are particularly interested in candidates with a Defense Tech background spanning areas such as AI/ML, Computer Vision, autonomous systems, UAVs, embedded software, robotics, communications, sensing, electronic warfare, or other military-related technologies.

This role is ideal for a systems thinker and technical leader who can connect technology, operational requirements, and business needs while working closely with clients, engineering teams, and defense stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define the company's technical strategy and R&D roadmap.
• Evaluate new business opportunities, lead technical discovery, and participate in go/no-go decisions.
• Design end-to-end defense technology solutions (sensor → compute → communications → operator/effect).
• Define system architectures and provide technical leadership across AI/ML, Computer Vision, software, embedded, and hardware domains.
• Assess technical feasibility, risks, and implementation approaches for prospective projects.
• Participate in presales activities, technical workshops, and client discussions.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and identify opportunities for their application in defense products.
• Collaborate with field teams to analyze testing results and operational feedback.
• Drive the transition from prototype to production-ready solutions.
• Build, mentor, and develop engineering teams.
• Establish engineering standards, processes, and technology selection practices.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in Defense Tech, AI/ML, Computer Vision, Embedded Systems, Robotics, UAVs, Communications, Electronic Warfare, RF, Avionics, or related technical domains.
• Technical background and hands-on experience designing and integrating complex systems across software, AI/ML, embedded, hardware, and related engineering domains.
• Systems-level thinking and ability to evaluate technical architectures, implementation approaches, and project feasibility.
• Understanding of operational constraints such as latency, reliability, maintainability, and real-world deployment conditions.
• Experience taking products from concept or prototype through deployment.
• Experience managing engineering teams or leading cross-functional technical initiatives.
• Experience in client-facing technical roles, presales, consulting, or solution architecture.
• English: Advanced

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous military service or hands-on experience working closely with military units.
• Experience building engineering or R&D organizations from scratch.
• The existing network within the Ukrainian defense ecosystem would be a plus.

Ideal Candidate:

• Think in systems, not just components.
• Combines strong technical expertise with understanding of real military needs and operational environments.
• Can confidently challenge assumptions and propose practical alternatives.
• Focused on technologies that work in the field, not only in presentations.
• Comfortable communicating with customers, military stakeholders, and engineering teams.
• Has broad technical curiosity and can quickly evaluate new technologies and domains.
• Understands how AI, software, hardware, and operational requirements come together in Defense Tech products.
• Motivated to build products from scratch and shape the company’s technical direction.

What the Company Offers:

• Participation in cutting-edge defense technology projects.
• Exposure to AI, software, embedded, and hardware products.
• Active involvement in presales, project evaluation, and technical strategy.
• Opportunity to work directly with Defense Tech innovations and emerging technologies.
• Health insurance.
• 24 days of vacation.
• Office/lab in Kyiv.
• Significant influence on technical strategy and the future development of the engineering organization.