What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) & Co-Founder position at AdAstra?
This organization is revolutionizing the skies by developing high-altitude, solar-powered UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) designed for real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and cutting-edge communication solutions. With ambitions to surpass traditional satellite and ground-based technologies, their work will redefine national security, global communications, and connectivity for underserved regions.
Our vision: to become a trailblazer in solar-powered aviation, reshaping the landscape of autonomous UAVs and establishing a new industry standard.
Your Mission
As CTO, you will be responsible for shaping and executing the company’s technical vision. This role requires a hands-on engineering leader who thrives on tackling complex challenges, building world-class teams, and driving innovation from the ground up.
2030 Vision
- Manufacture 10,000 cost-effective solar-powered stratospheric UAVs annually.
- Achieve 10x improvements in reliability and cost for solar-powered UAVs.
- Establish a platform connecting 4 billion people, 1 billion autonomous vehicles, and 1 billion robots.
- Build a lean, engineering-driven organization renowned for excellence.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a company of your own, driving it to incredible levels of success, alongside visionary co-founders and investors to create a transformative legacy.
Key Responsibilities
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Technical Strategy: Define and execute this company’s technical vision to achieve a 10x improvement in UAV cost and reliability.
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Innovation Leadership: Develop and iterate our UAV platform to ensure market-leading performance in ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and communication.
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Team Leadership: Recruit, mentor, and lead an elite engineering team.
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Engineering Excellence: Build world-class engineering teams to efficiently deliver drones that do not need to land for months, or even years. Tackle this difficult engineering challenge and truly transform the world. These UAV angles will protect America and their Allies.
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Product Development: Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from design and prototyping to manufacturing and deployment.
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Testing & Optimization: Leverage the Mojave test site to ensure rapid iteration and continuous improvement of UAV systems.
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Collaboration: Partner with the CEO to align technical development with business strategy and market needs.
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Qualifications
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Strong engineering background with hands-on experience in UAVs, aerospace, or related hard-tech systems.
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Proven ability to lead technical teams and deliver complex projects on time and on budget.
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Expertise in solar technology, high-altitude systems, or autonomous platforms is highly desirable.
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Entrepreneurial mindset with a drive to push boundaries and create world-class technology.
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Talent magnet. Who are the exceptional engineers who will follow you where you go?
High drive, relentless mindset, clear direct communication and high levels of self awareness.
Why Join This Team?
This is not just a role—it’s a platform to lead an industry-defining company. You will work closely with experienced co-founders and investors who have a proven history of scaling ventures from concept to global success. The current leadership team offers unparalleled expertise in:
- Fundraising: Partnering with top-tier investors to secure transformative funding.
- Strategic Planning: Building scalable, sustainable growth strategies.
- Technical Innovation: Driving breakthroughs to establish dominance in an emerging market.
You’ll have the opportunity to shape the company’s future while building a world-class organization.
Join Us
This company is more than a venture—it’s a mission to transform the skies and connect the world. If you’re ready to lead with vision, passion, and purpose, let’s take flight and redefine what’s possible.
About AdAstra
This position is a direct hire, permanent placement for a client of AdAstra.
AdAstra's mission is building thriving teams within elite NewSpace and Clean Tech startups.
AdAstra curates and closes premier talent for our partners, achieved via specialized technical screening, personalized culture assessment, and high-touch candidate engagement. We are motivated to foster boundless team satisfaction and catalyze innovation for future generations, enabling inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars.
Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adastrata
