Chief Technology Officer

Defence Recruiting

. Lead and further develop the Engineering organization .

Posted 10/26/2026full-timeMunich • GermanyLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive leadership in engineering organizations, with a strong focus on building and scaling teams while integrating hardware and software development. Possesses a strategic mindset to adapt to evolving customer requirements and technologies in the defense sector.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Leadership ExperienceEngineering Team BuildingSoftware-Defined DevelopmentTechnical LeadershipDefense Sector Expertise

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Embedded SoftwareReal-Time SystemsRoboticsAutonomous SystemsArchitectural EvaluationComplex Product DevelopmentHardware DevelopmentElectronicsMechanicsComposite Materials

Soft Skills

Strategic ThinkingAdaptabilityCollaborationTechnical Sparring

Industry Keywords

Defense SectorMilitary UsersCyber-Physical SystemsStart-Up ExperienceScale-Up Experience

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead and further develop the Engineering organization
Build a second leadership layer comprising Engineering and Team Leads, and recruit suitable leaders
Further develop structures, responsibilities, and ownership to enable efficient engineering during rapid growth
Assemble project and product teams with the right technical expertise
Strengthen Software Engineering and evolve hardware and software development toward integrated software-defined development
Share responsibility with the management team for the technological direction of new products
Ensure that development efforts establish an architectural foundation for a scalable and extensible product portfolio
Further develop collaboration and the division of responsibilities between Engineering and Product Management
Work closely with Business Development and Product to assess new customer requirements in terms of technical feasibility, effort, and strategic fit
Act as a technical sparring partner to the founder and the rest of the management team

Requirements

What you’ll need

Several years of leadership and management experience in technical organizations
Experience building or scaling Engineering teams
Extensive experience in the defence sector and a strong understanding of military users, requirements, and operating conditions
Strong software-defined mindset combined with a solid understanding of physical systems
Experience with complex products involving close integration between hardware and software
Ideally, experience with embedded software, real-time systems, robotics, autonomous systems, or comparable cyber-physical systems
Exposure to hardware development, such as electronics, mechanics, or composite materials
Sufficient technical depth to evaluate architectural decisions and provide technical leadership to experienced engineers
Experience in a fast-growing start-up or scale-up is a strong advantage
Strategic thinker with the ability to adapt technical priorities to changing customer requirements, technologies, or operational conditions
Willingness to maintain regular in-person presence with the Engineering team in Munich

Benefits

Comp & perks

Permanent employment contract
Significant scope to shape technology, organization, and product development
C-level role with direct collaboration with the founder
Close collaboration with Product Management, Business Development, and the wider management team
Fast-growing defence-tech environment with short decision-making processes and a high degree of personal responsibility
Munich-based role with regular in-person presence alongside the Engineering team