Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) (Unpaid / Equity share)

** This is an unpaid opportunity; the right candidate will be rewarded with a meaningful equity stake in PayBuddy Pty Ltd based on their contributions and successful completion of deliverables.

About PayBuddy:

PayBuddy is a consumer mobile app that helps people stay on top of their recurring payments. Our assets include an extensively iterated high-resolution Figma prototype, in-depth market and user research, clear growth and marketing plans, and a $5M+ pre-launch valuation with active capital-raising plans.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a CTO (Chief Technology Officer) to join our leadership team and lead our build on a part-time basis (20 hours per week), fully remote.

This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of PayBuddy's technical strategy, architecture, build, launch, and ongoing iteration.

You will partner closely with our leadership team to translate our high-resolution Figma prototype into a secure, scalable, and compliant consumer mobile application. As our most senior technical hire, you will set the technical direction for PayBuddy and lead the engineering build as the team grows.

** This is an unpaid opportunity; however, the right candidate will be rewarded with a meaningful equity stake in PayBuddy based on their contributions and successful completion of deliverables. Specific equity terms will be discussed during the interview process.

Why Join PayBuddy?

• Technical Autonomy & Ownership: You won’t just execute; you will define. We have an extensive high-resolution prototype, validated user research, and a clear path to revenue. You own the technical strategy, architecture, and tech stack from day one.
• Real Product, Not Vaporware: We solve genuine, widely reported consumer financial pain points. You are building a durable, scalable FinTech product that serves real market demand, not riding an AI hype cycle.
• Practical AI Application: We treat AI as an acceleration tool, not a buzzword. You’ll have scope to integrate AI where it creates measurable product value, ensuring you grow your skills on a live, high-impact application.
• Collaborative Leadership: Join a multi-disciplinary team with deep experience in FinTech, Banking, Marketing, Design and Product. We value pragmatic, secure, and user-centric development.
• Significant Equity Stake: As a foundational hire, your contribution is rewarded with meaningful equity—not just a seat at the table, but a stake in the company’s success.

** This is an unpaid opportunity; the right candidate will be rewarded with a meaningful equity stake in PayBuddy Pty Ltd based on their contributions and successful completion of deliverables.

Role Responsibilities:

As CTO at PayBuddy, your role is to own our technical strategy and lead the delivery of our MVP and beyond. To be considered, please review the responsibilities and skills below:

• Define and own PayBuddy's technical strategy, system architecture, and tech stack decisions

• Design and oversee the build of a secure, scalable mobile application integrated with Australian Open Banking (Consumer Data Right / CDR) data providers • Establish engineering best practices, code quality standards, testing approach, and development workflows

• Lead and mentor a small engineering team and manage external development partners where required

• Own product security, data protection, and compliance with relevant Australian regulations (Privacy Act, CDR rules, ASIC guidance)

• Collaborate with the Founder, the Design and Content team, and (in time) the Product Manager to translate product requirements into a realistic delivery roadmap • Provide technical input into fundraising materials, investor conversations, and technical due diligence

• Identify and manage key technology vendors, infrastructure providers, and Open Banking data partners

Key Skills:

• 5+ years in software engineering; 2+ years in technical leadership.

• Hands-on experience designing and shipping consumer-facing mobile applications (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, or similar)

• Strong full-stack engineering background, with proficiency in modern backend languages and frameworks, and experience with major cloud platforms • Demonstrated experience with the Australian Consumer Data Right (CDR) / Open Banking ecosystem, including familiarity with accredited CDR data recipients and providers.

• Strong working knowledge of FinTech security, data privacy, and compliance requirements in Australia

• Experience leading or mentoring engineers, setting technical direction, and making considered trade-offs between speed, quality, and cost

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders including the Founder, designers, and prospective investors

• Comfortable operating in a lean, pre-launch startup environment where pragmatism, prioritisation, and ownership are essential

Bonus Skills (not mandatory but valued):

• Previous experience as a CTO, Founding Engineer, or Tech Lead at a B2C FinTech or consumer mobile startup

• Familiarity with payment tracking, subscription management, or personal finance/budgeting products

• Experience working with freemium or subscription business models • Exposure to investor conversations, technical due diligence, or seed-stage fundraising

• Experience setting up CI/CD pipelines, observability, monitoring, and security tooling from scratch

• Knowledge of analytics, experimentation tooling, and product telemetry for early-stage products

• Experience with AI-assisted development tools and a genuine interest in how AI can accelerate build velocity for a lean startup team

• Familiarity with AI-enhanced product features and an appreciation of where AI genuinely adds product value versus where it introduces unnecessary complexity

Who You Are:

• A strategic technical leader who balances high-level architecture with hands-on implementation.

• A collaborator who is comfortable working alongside a Founder with a clear product vision and business model

• Pragmatic, security-conscious, and outcome-driven

• A self-starter who thrives in early-stage environments

• Excited by the prospect of building a unique B2C FinTech product and keen to take ownership for a real stake in the company’s success

Important Note:

** This is an unpaid opportunity; however, the right candidate will be rewarded with a meaningful equity stake in PayBuddy based on their substantial contributions and successful completion of deliverables. PayBuddy currently holds a pre-launch valuation of $5 million, and we have active plans to raise capital. Specific equity terms will be confirmed during the interview process.

Apply:

Our selection process will be:

1. Initial Screen: A 15-minute phone call to discuss your background and the role.
2. Founder Interview: A Zoom meeting to dive into the technical vision and partnership.

Leadership Deep-Dive: A final Zoom meeting with the leadership team for successful candidates.

To apply, please submit your CV and links to or references for production systems you have built or led.