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Temporary Chief Technology Officer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Department: Engineering Reports to : President and CEO Position Type : Regular/Full-Time/On-Site/Exempt Location : San Jose, CA The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is ...

CTO

Fresno, CA

$185K - $195K/yr

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Role Overview: We are seeking an experienced Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead our technology strategy and oversee all technical aspects of our company. The ideal ...

Join as CTO for our software engineering department as we scale! As a tech company ourselves, this is a crucial role. We offer competitive compensation with sizeable equity option negotiable. We're a ...

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Manhattan, NY ยท On-site

$220 - $360/hr

The CTO will drive innovation, oversee product engineering, and ensure the scalability, security, and performance of our software solutions. This role requires a deep technical background, leadership ...

Posted today

Working at the intersection of strategy and code, the CTO partners with the CEO to define the engineering direction, align the CPO and COO to keep the roadmap sound and moving at pace, and work with ...

Working at the intersection of strategy and code, the CTO partners with the CEO to define the engineering direction, align the CPO and COO to keep the roadmap sound and moving at pace, and work with ...

Chief Technology Officer

Longmont, CO ยท On-site

$220 - $350/hr

Working at the intersection of strategy and code, the CTO partners with the CEO to define the engineering direction, align the CPO and COO to keep the roadmap sound and moving at pace, and work with ...

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Department: Engineering Reports to : President and CEO Position Type : Regular/Full-Time/On-Site/Exempt Location : San Jose, CA The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is ...

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Temporary Chief Technology Officer information

See salary details

$25.5K

$166.5K

$276.5K

How much do temporary chief technology officer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for temporary chief technology officer in the United States is $166,511.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $132,000.00 and $195,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some unique challenges faced by a Temporary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) compared to a permanent CTO?

A Temporary CTO often needs to quickly assess the company's technology landscape and make impactful decisions within a short timeframe. Unlike permanent CTOs, temporary CTOs must rapidly build rapport with existing teams, prioritize urgent projects, and address any immediate technology gaps or risks. They frequently focus on stabilizing operations, implementing best practices, and preparing the organization for a smooth leadership transition. Adapting to different company cultures and aligning with short-term business goals are key aspects of the role.

What are Temporary Chief Technology Officers?

Temporary Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) are experienced technology leaders hired on a short-term or interim basis to guide a company's technology strategy and operations. They are often brought in during times of transition, such as a leadership change, rapid growth, or a specific project that requires specialized expertise. Temporary CTOs help organizations make critical technology decisions, mentor internal teams, and ensure that technology aligns with business goals until a permanent CTO is appointed. Their role can vary depending on the company's needs, ranging from overseeing IT infrastructure to driving innovation and digital transformation.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Temporary Chief Technology Officer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Temporary Chief Technology Officer, you need extensive experience in IT leadership, strategic planning, and a strong technical background, often supported by a degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with enterprise technology stacks, cloud platforms, cybersecurity practices, and agile project management tools is typically required. Excellent communication, problem-solving, and change management skills help you align technology initiatives with business goals and lead diverse teams. These skills ensure rapid, effective decision-making and successful technology transformations within a limited timeframe.

What is the difference between Temporary Chief Technology Officer vs Chief Technology Officer?

AspectTemporary Chief Technology OfficerChief Technology Officer
CredentialsTypically requires extensive tech leadership experience, often with executive certificationsRequires advanced degrees (e.g., Computer Science, Engineering) and significant industry experience
Work EnvironmentProject-based, short-term engagements, often consulting or interim rolesFull-time, long-term strategic leadership within a company
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by companies seeking interim leadership during transitions or projectsUsed as a permanent executive role overseeing technology strategy
Search & Comparison IntentOften searched by organizations needing temporary tech leadershipOften searched by companies hiring for a permanent CTO role

The main difference is that a Temporary Chief Technology Officer is hired for a short-term, project-specific role, while a Chief Technology Officer is a permanent executive responsible for long-term technology strategy and leadership within an organization.

More about Temporary Chief Technology Officer jobs
What cities are hiring for Temporary Chief Technology Officer jobs? Cities with the most Temporary Chief Technology Officer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Chief Technology Officer jobs? The most popular types of Chief Technology Officer jobs are:
What states have the most Temporary Chief Technology Officer jobs? States with the most job openings for Temporary Chief Technology Officer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Temporary Chief Technology Officer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Temporary Chief Technology Officer jobs are:
Infographic showing various Temporary Chief Technology Officer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 50% In-person, and 50% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $166,511 per year, or $80.1 per hour.

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Trinity Technology Solutions

Sunnyvale, CA โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 2 hours ago


Job description

About Client

Client  is a venture-backed leader in biometric security, headquartered in Cupertino, California. We build privacy-first, AI-powered access control systems used by Fortune 50 enterprises and operators of the world’s most critical infrastructure.

Our flagship product is a tightly integrated hardware, edge AI, and cloud platform that enables frictionless, high-assurance authentication across hyperscale data centers, financial institutions, airports, universities, and secure facilities. As digital identity becomes foundational to global security, Client is positioned to define what comes next.

The Role

We are seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to own the end-to-end technical vision and execution of Client ’s platform and products.

This is a builder CTO role for a systems-level leader who can architect, scale, and ship deeply integrated hardware, software, and AI systems. The CTO will lead large, multidisciplinary engineering teams and will be responsible for designing and delivering the next 1–3 generations of Client ’s core products.

This role is not advisory, not research-only, and not business development–oriented. The CTO is the company’s senior-most technical authority, accountable for turning long-term product vision into reliable, manufacturable, and globally deployable systems that win in the market.

What You’ll Own

Technology Vision & Architecture

-Define and own Client ’s technology and platform roadmap with a 3–10 year horizon.

-Architect next-generation biometric identity systems across facial authentication, edge AI, secure hardware, and cloud services.

-Ensure all product evolution balances accuracy, latency, security, privacy, cost, and scalability.

Engineering Leadership

-Lead and scale engineering organizations spanning hardware, firmware, embedded systems, AI/ML, and cloud software.

-Set technical standards for reliability, security, performance, and manufacturability.

-Make final architectural decisions and drive disciplined execution across teams.

Product Evolution

-Own the evolution of Client ’s core products across multiple generations, delivering step-function improvements in customer value and market differentiation.

-Partner closely with Product and Design to translate customer needs and market opportunities into shipped capabilities.

-Ensure innovation moves from concept → prototype → production → deployment.

AI, Edge & Privacy

-Guide the development of computer vision and AI systems optimized for on-device inference and real-world environments.

-Champion privacy-first and security-by-design approaches across the stack.

-Build platforms that can adapt to future identity modalities and regulatory requirements.

Market & Technical Leadership

-Represent Client  as a technical leader with customers, partners, and at industry forums.

-Maintain awareness of relevant standards and compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, NIST, FedRAMP) as design constraints—not ownership areas.

Culture & Talent

-Build a culture of strong technical judgment, systems thinking, and high accountability.

-Mentor senior engineering leaders and develop next-generation technical talent.

-Encourage fast iteration paired with production-grade rigor.

What We’re Looking For

-10+ years in senior technical leadership roles (CTO, VP Engineering, VP Product Engineering, or equivalent).

-Proven experience leading both hardware and software engineering teams at scale.

-Deep expertise in hardware/software convergence, edge computing, embedded systems, and cloud-connected devices.

-Track record of shipping complex, high-reliability products into production.

-Strong product intuition and the ability to think in product generations, not just features.

-Background in security, biometrics, AI, computer vision, or adjacent deep-tech domains.

-Technical degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Bonus Experience

-Hands-on experience with AI/ML systems for computer vision or biometric applications.

-Experience designing privacy-first or security-critical platforms.

-Patent portfolio or history of shipping novel, defensible technology.

-Exposure to relevant standards bodies or technical working groups.

What we’ll filter out is this:

-Strategy-only execs

-“Innovation lab” leaders

-Non-technical product leaders

What we hope to attract instead:

-Former VP Engs who should be CTOs

-CTOs from edge AI / robotics / security / infra

-Product-minded technologists who’ve shipped hardware multiple times