Chief Technology Officer (CTO) – Fintech (Wallet, Payments, KYC) - Contract to Hire

Overview We are building a high-security fintech ecosystem with live products and additional modules in development. We are looking for a hands-on CTO who will take full ownership of architecture, infrastructure, security, and engineering delivery. You will be the final authority on all technology decisions and production releases. 1. Strategic Technology Ownership The CTO will act as the sole authority and owner of the company’s technology ecosystem. The company currently operates: • Two live production products • Two products under development: Fintech and KYC The CTO will define and control: • Overall technical architecture • Technology stack (Frontend, Backend, Database) • Security standards • Scalability strategy • Infrastructure design • Technical roadmap aligned with business goals No production deployment shall occur without the CTO’s approval. 2. Architecture & Engineering Governance The CTO will establish and enforce standards across: Frontend • Framework and structure • Secure API handling • Performance optimization Backend • Secure API architecture • Wallet and ledger logic (double-entry system) • Webhook validation • Fraud prevention controls Database • Financial-grade data modeling • Transaction integrity • Backup & disaster recovery planning 3. Fintech Risk & Security Oversight Given that the company operates a fintech wallet, payment systems, and KYC solution, the CTO will be fully responsible for: • Wallet security & transaction integrity • Preventing double-spending and race conditions • Encryption (data at rest & in transit) • Secure authentication & authorization • Fraud detection mechanisms • Chargeback risk mitigation • Periodic security audits • Infrastructure hardening Technology risk directly equals financial risk. The CTO must work with strict focus to eliminate vulnerabilities. 4. Fintech Connect Button & Browser-Based SDK (Critical Component) The CTO will design and oversee the development of a secure “Fintech Connect” button (similar to a PayPal-style wallet connect flow), including: • Browser-based JavaScript SDK • Secure wallet authorization mechanism • Token exchange & validation system • Domain validation and origin controls • CSRF/XSS protections • HMAC request signing • Webhook signature validation • Rate limiting & anti-replay protection • Monitoring & abuse detection This component carries high security risk and must undergo strict validation before release. Deliverables: • Production-ready SDK • Developer documentation • Sandbox environment • Security audit completion 5. Product Development Oversight The CTO will: • Finalize Figma designs with stakeholders • Approve technical feasibility before development • Break features into sprint structures • Monitor timelines and delivery • Ensure QA and performance testing • Approve releases The CTO will work closely with management to ensure all new features and updates are delivered on time and securely. 6. Chargeback & Risk Monitoring System The CTO will design and implement: • Structured chargeback handling pipeline • Automated monitoring dashboard • Daily benchmark alert system (threshold-based alerts) • Risk categorization per merchant/user • Reporting system for management 7. Cloud Infrastructure & Cost Optimization The CTO will be fully responsible for: • Cloud architecture design • CI/CD pipelines • Production & staging environments • Auto-scaling policies • System monitoring & uptime • Infrastructure cost optimization • Vendor evaluation & third-party integrations The CTO will ensure performance efficiency while maintaining cost control. 8. Team Leadership & Accountability The CTO will: • Hire and manage developers • Define KPIs and engineering standards • Conduct performance reviews • Build a high-performance technology team • Take hiring and termination decisions to achieve milestones • Be fully accountable for the engineering team’s performance and delivery. Milestones Until Product Completion Phase 1 – Architecture & Security Foundation • Finalize system architecture • Define wallet ledger structure • Establish a security framework • Set up CI/CD and infrastructure policies Phase 2 – Production Stabilization • Audit live products • Implement monitoring & logging • Deploy a chargeback monitoring system • Optimize cloud costs Phase 3 – Fintech Completion • Finalize Figma & development plan • Implement secure payment workflows • Integrate fraud controls • Conduct load & security testing • Launch production-ready Fintech Phase 3A – Fintech Connect SDK • Build a secure browser-based SDK • Implement wallet authorization flow • Deploy sandbox & documentation • Complete security validation before release Phase 4 – KYC Completion • Implement secure KYC workflow • Integrate third-party verification providers • Build compliance logs & admin dashboards • Complete security and data protection checks Phase 5 – Scalability & Automation • Auto-scaling infrastructure • Disaster recovery testing • Advanced fraud analytics • Performance optimization Final Accountability The CTO will be fully responsible for: • Financial transaction integrity • Wallet and SDK security • Production stability • Chargeback monitoring • Infrastructure cost efficiency • Team performance • Timely delivery of Fintech and KYC Budget: $3,000/month