CTO – Head Agent

Join us as Refined’s first Chief Technology Officer to steer our tech vision

Are you poised for a career leap into a CTO role, eager to steer the technological future of a company with global clients like Apple, IBM and Airbnb?

Do you envision yourself at the helm of a technology organization, where your strategic vision and leadership will propel an already successful B2B SaaS product into new markets globally?

At Refined, we’re on the brink of an exhilarating phase of expansion. Our unique position as an organically grown, non-VC-backed company has fostered a culture rich in collaboration, innovation, and significant personal contribution. We stand at a pivotal moment, ready to scale our operations internationally with the right visionary at our side.

We’re inviting you to become Refined’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO). This role is not just about leading; it’s about inspiring a mature engineering team and evolved product function towards new horizons. You’ll be instrumental in crafting a tech vision that aligns with our mission, driving innovation that maintains our competitive edge, and fostering a culture where experimentation is encouraged.

Are you…

in a senior leadership role, eyeing the CTO title as your next career milestone?
e.g. Director of Engineering or VP Product, managing smaller teams but aspiring for a holistic leadership role overseeing an engineering organization of a comfortable size?
a visionary eager to map out and enhance the technological capabilities of a growing scaleup, working closely with distributed teams?

If this sounds like you, make sure to keep on reading!

Your pivotal role as our first CTO

Stepping into the role of CTO at Refined, you’ll find yourself at the heart of a forward-thinking tech environment. Here, your mission will be to carve out a compelling technology vision that aligns seamlessly with our company goals, setting us apart in a competitive landscape. This role isn’t just about overseeing our engineering efforts; it’s about leading a 25-strong engineering organization towards achieving remarkable engineering feats, with five direct reports looking to you for guidance.

What makes this opportunity truly unique is the blend of strategic and hands-on responsibilities you’ll undertake. From developing strategies that amplify our technological edge to fostering a creative culture, you’ll encourage your teams to think outside the box and develop products that stand out. Collaboration is key, as you’ll work closely with cross-functional leaders to ensure technology and product decisions deliver maximum value to our customers.

Get to know our products, clients and use cases here>>

Your leadership will be instrumental in not just hitting our engineering targets but exceeding them, by hiring top talent and nurturing a team that’s geared towards product excellence. You’ll also be responsible for the scalability, reliability, and security of our products, overseeing everything from infrastructure design to the implementation of robust security measures to protect against emerging threats.

In essence, this role offers more than just a title; it provides the freedom to influence the future of technology at Refined, championing initiatives that enhance our market position while ensuring our products are scalable, secure, and aligned with customer needs. With a focus on strategic partnerships and efficient budget management, you’ll have all the tools at your disposal to drive Refined’s technology landscape to new heights.

Key responsibilities in a nutshell:

Craft and execute a forward-thinking technology vision and strategy aligned with company goals, enhancing our competitive edge and technological capabilities while staying informed of industry and market trends to drive innovation.
Lead engineering and product delivery by hiring and developing the technology team, fostering innovation, ensuring product differentiation, collaborating with cross-functional leaders, and upholding best practices to maximize customer value and product excellence.
Manage the company’s infrastructure design, implementation, and maintenance for optimal performance and scalability, alongside deploying robust monitoring systems and collaborating with Operations and DevOps to enhance deployment and workflow efficiency.
Ensure the security and compliance of our operations through the development and implementation of rigorous security measures, adherence to regulatory standards, and regular audits to protect customer data and mitigate cybersecurity risks.
Oversee strategic partnerships and vendor management by assessing collaborations, negotiating contracts, and ensuring the seamless integration of external solutions to expand our product offerings and market reach while maintaining compliance and mitigating risks.
Lead the budgeting and forecasting process by collaborating with stakeholders to align technology spending with strategic goals, optimizing expenses for maximum efficiency, and managing vendor relationships to control costs and enhance procurement processes.

Is this the environment and leadership role you’ve been looking for?

Joining Refined as the new CTO, you’ll enter a dynamic and supportive setting in a Swedish company with a significant global presence, undertaking its first leadership hire in over a decade. Our goal is to expand our global customer base, particularly into the APAC and Brazil regions, focusing on local deployments for optimal product performance worldwide.

Refined is defined by a culture of organic growth, a flat hierarchy that emphasizes every team member’s voice, and a collaborative environment. Reporting directly to Emil, our CEO, and sometimes to the board, you’ll be part of a small but impactful leadership team dedicated to innovation and open communication, which distinguishes us from the traditional, frantic tech world.

The role calls for a leader who is curious, assertive, and open to exploring new technologies, particularly in cloud infrastructure, perhaps through AWS. You’ll need to balance technical expertise with commercial insight, leading a team of professionals and engineering managers through a mix of remote and occasional in-person interactions, primarily in Malmö and Helsinki. Management experience is essential, as you’ll guide our tech teams towards strategic goals while fostering a culture of flexibility, autonomy, and trust.

In essence, you’ll not only manage Refined’s technical direction but also embody our values of openness, collaboration, and innovation, making a significant impact on our team and broader community.

During our first meeting, we look forward to discussing how this role aligns with your career aspirations and our goals. We aim to find the perfect fit that allows you to thrive and helps us reach new heights together.

Practicalities, benefits and salary:

Work-life balance is built into how we operate, giving you the flexibility to enjoy life outside of work. We have flextime, flexible working hours and generous policies for new parents.
Salary range will be addressed in your initial call with us, and rest assured, the compensation package includes a competitive salary complemented by an extensive range of excellent benefits, which you can explore in full detail on our career page.
This role would be based in our Malmö or Helsinki office.
Our work is built to be remote: alongside building strong in-person collaboration, our flexible work-from-home policy means that teams agree together how often to come into the office (usually 2-3 days a week).
Twice a year we gather as a whole company to build in-person relationships.

Interested? Here’s what to do next:

First, let’s explore if you’re the perfect fit for the role:

Proven leadership experience in a senior role within a SaaS or tech-driven organization, demonstrating a history of steering teams towards substantial growth.
Adeptness in people management is indispensable. This entails a multifaceted skill set encompassing the art of providing constructive feedback, fostering clarity in performance evaluation, as well as strategic prowess in the realms of hiring and resource planning. It necessitates the ability to navigate the intricate dynamics of human interaction with finesse and insight, ensuring that teams are not only effectively managed but also empowered to achieve their full potential.
Extensive expertise in software development and architecture, alongside a deep understanding of cloud-based technologies, showing readiness to innovate and adapt.
A dynamic individual who embraces change, consistently staying ahead of the latest technology trends, especially in cloud products, to drive the company forward.
Exceptional communicator capable of breaking down complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders, ensuring clarity and alignment across departments.
Willingness to travel as required by the role, combined with a strong business acumen and a dedicated focus on enhancing engineering processes to support the company’s growth ambitions.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!