Founding CTO / VP Engineering – AI Security Startup

Founding CTO / VP Engineering – AI Security Startup

Company: CyberAI

Location: Tel Aviv, Israel

Compensation: Founding Equity Only (pre-raise); Converts to Salary + Equity upon SAFE Round

About the Role

We’re building secure-by-design infrastructure for enterprise AI, enabling organizations to harness generative AI (GenAI) without compromising security, privacy, or governance. Our platform is encryption-first, zero-trust, and optimized for LLM operations—think model routing, encrypted inference, and secure audits.

We’ve validated the problem, secured design partners, and built early investor relationships with top-tier VCs. Now, we need a Founding CTO / VP Engineering to co-architect our vision and lead the technical charge. This isn’t a job—it’s a rare opportunity to be a co-founder, own significant equity, and shape the secure foundation of the GenAI era.

Note: This role is equity-only until our upcoming SAFE round, offering substantial ownership in a high-growth venture.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Architecture & MVP Development: Design and build a secure AI platform, focusing on encryption-first model routing, zero-trust inference, secure logs, and compliance-ready audits.
• Build & Scale the Engineering Team: Hire and mentor a world-class team from the ground up, fostering a culture of innovation, security, and execution.
• Collaborate with Stakeholders: Work directly with enterprise CIOs, CISOs, AI leaders, and design partners to validate requirements and deliver customer-centric solutions.
• Guide Tech Stack & Infrastructure: Make critical decisions on AI frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch), encryption protocols (e.g., AES, TLS, homomorphic encryption), and scalable cloud architecture (e.g., AWS, Azure).
• Drive Technical Strategy: Represent the technical vision in investor pitches, strategic planning, and industry conversations, translating innovation into business impact.
• Co-Own the Vision: Shape the company’s direction, culture, and product roadmap as a founding partner, with influence over every key decision.

Requirements

Technical Expertise:

• 7+ years of hands-on technical experience, including 3+ years in high-growth startups or tech companies.
• Proven background as CTO, Lead Engineer, Architect, or R&D Lead in cybersecurity, enterprise AI, or infrastructure.
• Deep expertise in encryption (e.g., zero-trust, TLS, AES-256) and secure system design (e.g., cloud-native, DevSecOps).
• Strong experience with LLMs and GenAI tools—prompt engineering, fine-tuning, RAG, or secure model deployment.
• Proficiency in programming (e.g., Python, C++, Go) and building scalable, secure architectures.
• Familiarity with AI/ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) and running POCs for cybersecurity applications.

Leadership & Experience:

• Track record of shipping early-stage products or prototypes, from ideation to market.
• Experience building and leading small, high-impact engineering teams in fast-paced startup environments.
• Familiarity with enterprise cybersecurity markets, compliance (e.g., SOC 2, GDPR, NIST), and competitive analysis (e.g., Gartner, Forrester).
• Proven ability to work with design partners, validate product concepts, and iterate based on customer feedback.

Founder Mindset:

• Passion for secure AI and encryption, with a vision to redefine enterprise cybersecurity.
• Comfortable with equity-only compensation until SAFE funding, embracing startup risks for significant ownership.
• Exceptional communication skills (fluent English), able to engage developers, customers, and investors with clarity and confidence.
• Self-driven, curious, and comfortable with ambiguity—thrives in chaos and ships under pressure.

Education: Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent—or tangible proof you never needed one (e.g., shipped products, patents, open-source contributions).

Nice-to-Haves:

• Connections in the cybersecurity/AI ecosystem (e.g., Israel’s tech scene, VC networks).
• Experience with emerging fields like quantum cryptography, adversarial AI, or secure multi-party computation.
• Speaking engagements or thought leadership at conferences (e.g., RSA, Black Hat, NeurIPS).

Ideal Fit

• Innovative & Curious: An autodidact who geeks out on cutting-edge AI and encryption challenges.
• Product-Minded: Thinks beyond code—obsessed with users, outcomes, and business impact.
• Resilient & Ambitious: Bets on themselves in a high-risk, high-reward founding role, but humble enough to build as a team.
• Global & Async: Based in Israel or fluent in remote-first, async collaboration across time zones.
• Strategic Builder: Not just technical—shapes product strategy, hires smart, and rallies stakeholders around a shared vision.

What We Offer

• True Co-Founder Equity: Significant ownership in a high-growth AI security startup.
• Unparalleled Influence: Shape every decision—from tech stack to hiring to product vision.
• Traction & Network: Access to early design partners, top-tier VCs, and a clear path to funding.
• Legacy Opportunity: Define the secure foundation of the GenAI era, solving a critical enterprise problem.
• Culture: Join a passionate, collaborative founding team where your ideas drive our success.

Interested?

Let’s talk. Tell us why you’re excited about this role and how you’d build a secure AI platform. Share your resume, GitHub, LinkedIn, or portfolio, and describe a cybersecurity or AI project you’ve led (e.g., a secure product, LLM prototype, or scaled system).

Contact: Email [email protected], message us on LinkedIn, or DM directly.

Our company  is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive, world-class team.