Chief Technology Officer

The Role of Chief Technology Officer at Overstory

The climate crisis presents the defining challenge of our time, but also an unparalleled opportunity for innovation. At Overstory, we leverage cutting-edge technology to build a resilient electrical grid, ensuring communities thrive amidst global changes. The grid is essential, powering hospitals, preserving food, and keeping communities connected. However, extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and escalating wildfire risks put immense pressure on this vital system, making the electric utility industry a prime area for climate action.

A major cause of catastrophic wildfires and power outages is vegetation coming into contact with power lines. Overstory addresses this by using AI and advanced satellite imagery to precisely identify and prioritize vegetation risks before they escalate. By providing utilities with critical risk analysis, we help prevent outages, mitigate wildfire risks, and accelerate the transition to a safer, more resilient grid.

Our diverse team spans the Americas and Europe, collaborating with utility partners globally. We are a passionate group of outdoor enthusiasts, musicians, artists, athletes, parents, and adventurers, representing 15 nationalities and growing. We are united by a drive to solve complex problems, a commitment to climate action, and a belief that technology should serve as a force for good. Join us to contribute to building a more resilient world.

As the Chief Technology Officer at Overstory, you will lead and scale a world-class engineering team focused on reducing wildfire and power outage risks globally. This is a unique opportunity for a seasoned engineering leader to guide a commercially successful climate-tech company through its rapid expansion phase post-Series B funding. You will be responsible for defining a compelling technical strategy and assembling the team to execute it effectively. This role demands the ability to seamlessly zoom between detailed technical problem-solving and high-level communication with the board.

Our product operates at the intersection of AI and remote sensing, fields that are rapidly evolving. The work is exciting, deeply mission-driven, and crucial for transforming the electric utility industry towards a more resilient grid. This environment comes with inherent ambiguity, and we seek someone energized by the unknown, eager to create customer-loved products through bold and creative approaches. You must skillfully balance the demands of a growing business with the need to build scalable future-proof solutions, all while acting with urgency.

What a Successful Candidate Looks Like

You are an entrepreneurial startup leader with a proven track record of guiding engineering teams from Series A through Series C and beyond, demonstrating a blend of boldness and empathy. You understand the inherent challenges and triumphs of VC-backed startups. You know how to inspire global teams with an exciting vision while providing the hands-on support required for execution.

You possess a strong professional network and are proactive in recruiting top talent. You are not hesitant to hire individuals more knowledgeable than yourself and are committed to attracting exceptional talent, recognizing that recruiting is a continuous, high-priority effort requiring constant networking and attention. You will build a diverse team characterized by a high-performing, inclusive, and supportive culture.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the development of all Overstory’s technology, including our software product, ML models, internal tools, and underlying platform.
• Partner closely with our VP Product & Strategy to advance the business by developing impactful products. You will gain a deep understanding of customer challenges to drive bold engineering solutions.
• Build a high-performing and diverse engineering team that operates remotely across multiple countries and time zones.
• Formulate a compelling technical vision and translate it into a strategic roadmap for the next 12-36 months.
• Lead highly productive cross-functional teams that consistently deliver high-quality products. Foster an inclusive culture where every team member can excel.
• Establish strong communication channels within your team and cultivate effective partnerships with other key business functions.

About You: Traits and Experience

Traits We Value:

• Boldness: You are decisive, willing to take calculated risks, and act with urgency.
• Mission-driven: You are deeply committed to developing products that help communities adapt to climate change by fostering a more resilient electrical grid.
• Empathy: You can attract, develop, and lead a diverse team with an inclusive approach.
• Listening: You lead with curiosity, ensuring your team and colleagues feel heard.
• Curiosity: You are passionate about learning and comfortable acknowledging what you don't know.
• Clarity: You simplify complex ideas and communicate effectively to broad audiences without jargon.
• Collaborative spirit: You prioritize the team over individual ego and are always ready to contribute actively.

Experience We Value:

• Managed an engineering team of 70+ people.
• Experienced the journey of a VC-backed startup from Series A through Series C or later, successfully scaling teams through these transitions. You appreciate the entrepreneurial drive of early stages while establishing high standards for excellence that will scale.
• Experience with complex, ML-based products. Bonus points for geospatial or remote sensing expertise.
• Deep understanding of software development processes and a product-centric approach to technology building.
• Value cross-functional collaboration where engineering, product, and design work seamlessly.
• Managed remote and global teams effectively.

What You Get

• Engage in truly mission-driven work that contributes to reducing wildfires, protecting natural resources, and addressing the climate crisis.
• Enjoy a flexible working environment with significant autonomy, allowing you to integrate work with life.
• Receive additional benefits such as a remote working budget, an educational budget, and dedicated time for skill development.
• Be part of an excellent, vibrant, and intelligent team that supports each other and upholds a culture of openness, tolerance, and respect.
• Competitive salary and equity.

About Our Team

We are a global team of 100 individuals representing fifteen nationalities. Our team works remotely from eleven different countries, and we are seeking candidates residing and working in one of these locations: United States, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Estonia, Portugal, France, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, and Canada. We organize an annual in-person team gathering and offer options for occasional in-person collaboration.

Diversity & Inclusion

We highly value diversity and inclusion, striving to continuously bring in individuals of all genders, races, creeds, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds. We believe that the most innovative ideas arise when people with diverse perspectives and approaches collaborate. We are committed to further diversifying our team and are proud that four of our nine leadership team members are female, 46% of our overall team is female, and 20% of our team are people of color. Our team collectively speaks fifteen languages: English, Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Luxembourgish, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Estonian, Danish, and Korean.

Our Values

• Tackling the climate crisis is our greatest mission.
• We act with urgency. Our curiosity fuels our growth.
• We recognize that change is constant, and we find joy and power in exploration.
• We’re rooted in diversity. Just as ecosystems need biodiversity to thrive, our resiliency comes from our differences.
• We Care For Each Other. We love the power of machines but we nurture each other as humans.
• Trust is fundamental. We assume the best in everyone, and we share ideas openly so that we have a positive impact.

Key Skills/Competency

• Engineering Leadership
• Technical Strategy
• Machine Learning
• Remote Sensing
• Team Scaling
• Product Development
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Startup Experience
• Climate Technology
• Software Architecture