Full-Stack CTO/ Technical Lead - Assessment & AI Platform

• *Role Summary**

Strengthscape is building Meridian as an in\-house digital assessment, scoring, reporting and AI\-enabled insight platform. The CTO / Technical Co\-Founder will own the product architecture, build strategy, engineering execution, AI automation layer, deployment discipline, data\-security posture and future technology team formation.

The ideal candidate is a hands\-on full\-stack builder who can move from concept to MVP quickly, convert assessment and psychometric logic into robust product workflows, and make pragmatic technical decisions without waiting for perfect specifications.

• *Builder First**

Own the product from idea to working release. Write code, solve ambiguity and ship usable systems.

• *AI\-Native**

Use AI APIs, automation and workflow tools intelligently across review, reporting and operations.

• *Founder\-Track**

Operate with skin in the game, milestone accountability and long\-term ownership orientation.

• *PRODUCT CONTEXT**

About Meridian

Meridian is being built to power next\-generation assessment journeys for individuals, teams and enterprise clients. It will combine assessment\-taking, item banks, scoring models, quality review, AI\-assisted reporting, dashboards and delivery workflows into one coherent platform.

The product sits at the intersection of psychometrics, leadership development, HR technology, AI\-assisted insights, learning journeys and B2B SaaS. The first priority is a secure, usable MVP that can support assessment development and real client pilots; the long\-term vision is a scalable product platform with multiple assessments, user roles and enterprise workflows.

What the CTO Will Build

· Respondent\-facing assessment web app with secure login, progress saving and accessible user experience.

· Assessment builder and item\-bank system with item metadata, versioning, review status, locking and audit trail.

· Scoring and interpretation engine with dimensions, sub\-dimensions, adaptive logic, validation checks and report mapping.

· Admin, reviewer, consultant and client dashboards for review, publishing, delivery tracking and report access.

· AI\-assisted workflows for item review, quality checks, insight drafting, report generation and human approval.

· Secure data architecture for users, accounts, responses, scoring outputs, reports, exports, logs and permissions.

· Integrations with relevant tools such as Google Workspace, Notion, Zoho, CRM systems, payment workflows and AI APIs.

· Deployment, backup, monitoring, error logging, documentation and release discipline for production readiness.

• *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**

Technology Ownership

· Define and own the technology roadmap for Meridian from MVP to production\-grade platform.

· Choose the right architecture, stack, database, hosting environment and integration approach.

· Build the first working system hands\-on while creating the foundation for later engineering scale.

· Set standards for code quality, repository structure, release management, testing and documentation.

· Translate psychometric, assessment and reporting requirements into reliable product workflows.

· Design systems that are simple enough to ship quickly and strong enough to evolve over time.

AI, Automation and Workflow Design

· Integrate AI APIs for controlled support in item review, report drafting, insight generation and quality checks.

· Build human\-in\-the\-loop approval flows so AI supports judgement without replacing governance.

· Automate repetitive internal processes across review queues, exports, report delivery, logs and client operations.

· Use no\-code or low\-code tools where appropriate, but avoid fragile workflows that cannot scale.

· Create reusable internal tools for content, review, versioning, QA, publishing and support.

Security, Data and Governance

· Implement secure authentication, role\-based permissions and controlled access for internal and external users.

· Maintain clean separation of respondent data, assessment content, scoring logic, client accounts and reports.

· Build audit trails for item changes, scoring updates, report changes, exports and approvals.

· Support practical privacy, confidentiality and data\-security expectations for enterprise clients.

· Plan reliable backup, rollback, incident logging and production monitoring practices from the beginning.

Team and Vendor Enablement

· Work directly with the founder, psychometricians, content developers, reviewers and business stakeholders.

· Convert incomplete business notes into clear technical requirements and ship\-ready tasks.

· Guide junior developers, interns, freelancers or vendors as the technology team expands.

· Create documentation that allows the product to be maintained without founder dependence.

· Represent the technology plan with confidence in internal reviews and partner discussions.

• *First 90\-Day Outcome**

A strong candidate should be able to create a clean technical blueprint, stabilize the core data model, build the first usable assessment flow, create admin/review foundations, and demonstrate AI\-assisted reporting or review workflow prototypes within the first 90 days.

• *CANDIDATE PROFILE**

Required Capability Profile

· Strong hands\-on full\-stack development capability; able to build without a large team.

· Experience building SaaS, web applications, internal platforms or product MVPs from scratch.

· Comfort with backend architecture, database design, APIs, authentication and deployment.

· Good judgement on when to use custom code, AI tools, automation platforms and low\-code systems.

· Ability to work in ambiguity, ask sharp questions and convert requirements into working releases.

· High ownership mindset with founder\-track energy, accountability and speed.

· Strong written documentation habits and structured communication with non\-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Technical Stack / Tool Exposure

• *Frontend**

React, Next.js, Vue or equivalent modern web framework

• *Backend**

Node.js, Python, FastAPI, Django, Express or equivalent backend stack

• *Database**

PostgreSQL, Supabase, Firebase, MongoDB or similar structured data systems

• *AI / LLMs**

OpenAI, Gemini, Claude APIs; prompt orchestration; human\-in\-the\-loop workflows

• *Automation**

Apps Script, Zapier, Make, n8n, Notion APIs, Google Workspace integrations

• *Deployment**

Vercel, AWS, GCP, Render, Railway or similar cloud deployment environments

• *Engineering Discipline**

GitHub, CI/CD basics, logging, monitoring, documentation and issue tracking

Good to Have

· Prior experience in HR tech, edtech, assessment platforms, learning platforms or B2B SaaS.

· Understanding of surveys, psychometrics, scoring models, dashboards or report generation.

· Experience working directly with founders or building products in small, high\-speed teams.

· Ability to create basic product wireframes, data models and technical architecture diagrams.

· Interest in behavioural science, leadership development, people analytics and AI\-enabled learning.

Who This Role Is For

· A builder who wants to own a serious product from zero to one.

· A technologist who sees AI and automation as core leverage, not as a side experiment.

· Someone who is comfortable with a lower fixed cash / higher long\-term upside model.

· A hands\-on leader who can code today and build a team tomorrow.

· Someone who wants product ownership, not just ticket execution.

Who This Role Is Not For

· Someone looking for a clearly defined corporate engineering role with a large support team.

· Someone seeking only a high fixed salary from day one.

· Someone who needs perfect specifications before starting the build.

· Someone who prefers managing vendors but is not willing to build hands\-on.

· Someone uncomfortable with founder\-level accountability and milestone\-based progress.

• *WORKING MODEL, COMPENSATION AND SELECTION**

Working Model

· Full\-time or near full\-time commitment is required; this cannot be treated as a casual side project.

· Bangalore / hybrid is strongly preferred because the role requires close collaboration with the founder and core team.

· The CTO will work directly with the founder and assessment/content teams during the first build phase.

· The role will begin with a clear 30\-60\-90 day build plan and milestone\-based review cadence.

· Confidentiality, IP protection and disciplined documentation will be mandatory from the start.

Compensation and Ownership Structure

This is a founder\-track role structured around ESOP / sweat equity / milestone\-linked ownership participation. The exact structure will depend on capability, commitment level, scope ownership, company structure, vesting design, legal documentation and board / shareholder approvals wherever applicable.

A limited cash component or stipend may be discussed depending on fit, availability and runway, but this role is designed for someone who is motivated by long\-term value creation and ownership rather than a standard salary\-first arrangement.

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bengaluru, Karnataka