Founding CTO (Equity): Build and Launch an AI Platform

Job type Co-founder / full-time. Remote (Canada or US). Compensation No salary for the first 12 to 18 months. Equity with 4-year vesting and a 1-year cliff. The range is shared on the first call. Salary starts when we raise money or earn revenue. We will agree on the trigger in writing. Please read this first This is an equity-only founding role. You do not pay any money. *If you need a paycheck now, this is not the right role. * About the role We are building AI for trade compliance between Canada and the US. We are behind on development and need a hands-on CTO to build and launch the platform, safely and securely. Company setup Complyva is registered in Canada. We plan to open a US entity, and the CTO will help set it up with our lawyers and accountants. If you are US-based, this is a big plus. What you will own Build: Write and ship product code, every week. AI: Make answers accurate, with sources, and test them. Security: Data protection, privacy (PIPEDA, CCPA) and SOC 2 prep. Launch: Beta test, monitoring, backups and a safe release. Infrastructure: Cloud, databases and costs. Team: Hire and manage developers and contractors. Report weekly to the founder. IP: Work with our lawyers so all code is owned by the company. What we offer A founding CTO role with real ownership. Decision power over the tech: your tools, your plan. A founder with 13 years in customs who handles the trade and customer side. A clear path: salary and a bigger team after funding. You should have 5 to 10 years at a large, well-known company (Fortune 100 level, or a top tech company), in a senior engineering role. You have built or run a large platform with real users, security reviews and release processes. You are hands-on. You still write code. Strong Python, APIs and cloud skills. Real AI or LLM experience in production. Security or SOC 2 experience. You can ship a first working version in weeks. Bonus: customs, logistics, supply chain or fintech. You can work without salary for 12 to 18 months. How it works Intro call with the founder. A short trial project (2 to 4 weeks) so we both see the fit. Founding CTO agreement: equity, vesting, roles and IP, in writing with lawyers. Details NDA and IP assignment before we share any details. You do not need to share confidential work from past employers. To apply, send: Your LinkedIn profile. The large companies you worked for, your roles and years. The biggest platform you built: your role, users and tech. A public link to something you built (no confidential work). Your experience with AI in production and with security or SOC 2. Hours per week, start date, and how you could work without salary for 12 to 18 months. Why you want this role.