Chief technology officer (CTO) job description.
Thinking of hiring a chief technology officer (CTO) or stepping into a top-level tech leadership role? This CTO job description outlines strategic responsibilities, key technical and business skills, executive progression, and typical C-suite compensation.
What does a chief technology officer (CTO) do?
The chief technology officer leads a company’s overall technology strategy, ensuring that engineering, infrastructure, and product development support the business’s long-term goals. They often sit on the executive team and play a key role in innovation and scaling.
They are responsible for technical vision, budgeting, hiring senior talent, and overseeing delivery teams. CTOs often act as the bridge between engineering and commercial leadership, guiding platform decisions and assessing technical risk.
In startups, the CTO is often hands-on, building the first versions of a product. In mature businesses, they focus on leadership, scalability, vendor decisions, and strategic alignment with the CEO and board.
Key responsibilities of a chief technology officer.
The CTO leads the overall technology strategy of an organisation, ensuring scalability, security, and alignment with business goals. Common responsibilities include:
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Defining technical vision and ensuring technology supports business strategy
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Overseeing architecture, infrastructure, and platform development
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Managing engineering leads and senior technical staff
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Partnering with product, data, and commercial teams on roadmap planning
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Ensuring delivery of high-quality, scalable software solutions
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Leading recruitment, team structure, and succession planning
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Owning technology budgets, tooling, and vendor relationships
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Representing technology in board or leadership meetings
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Driving innovation and evaluating emerging technologies
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Ensuring compliance with security, data protection, and regulatory standards
This role combines long-term vision, operational leadership, and stakeholder influence.
Skills and requirements for a chief technology officer.
CTOs define overall technology strategy and lead technical direction. Employers typically look for:
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10–15+ years of experience in software development and tech leadership
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Proven success leading tech strategy across startups or enterprise businesses
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Deep knowledge of infrastructure, architecture, and platform scaling
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Strong leadership and people development skills across engineering teams
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Experience managing budgets, vendors, and digital transformation projects
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Ability to translate business goals into technical solutions
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Skilled in stakeholder management, including investors or board members
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Familiarity with data security, compliance, and governance
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Track record of innovation, delivery, and organisational impact
Most CTOs hold senior leadership roles across engineering, product, or data, aligning technology with long-term business growth.
Average salary for a chief technology officer.
In the UK, the average salary for a chief technology officer (CTO) typically ranges from £120,000 to £200,000, reflecting executive responsibility for technical strategy and innovation.
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Mid-level CTOs in startups or mid-sized tech firms tend to earn between £120,000 and £160,000
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Senior CTOs in global organisations or fast-scaling platforms often earn between £161,000 and £200,000
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Equity, performance bonuses, and long-term incentives are commonly part of the package
London and tech hubs offer the most competitive CTO roles, particularly in fintech, SaaS, and deep tech.
Career progression for a chief technology officer (CTO)
A chief technology officer is responsible for the technical direction and innovation of a business. This board-level role is the pinnacle of engineering leadership. A typical journey to CTO includes:
Software engineer / developer
Builds applications, solves technical problems, and learns development best practices.
Senior engineer / architect
Leads complex projects, drives architectural decisions, and mentors others.
Head of engineering
Manages people, performance, and delivery across multiple streams.
Director of engineering
Aligns teams with strategic goals, develops leaders, and supports innovation.
Chief technology officer (CTO)
Defines and delivers the company’s technical vision. Oversees product development, innovation, and scaling.
System Developer
Electrician
Data Cabling
Electrical Improver
salary guide
Our UK tech salary guide.
CTOs lead technology strategy, team growth, and system architecture. At this level, salary should reflect leadership scope, business impact, and technical vision.
Use the 2025 UK tech salary guide to benchmark CTO salaries, assess hiring trends, compare 2024 data, and review 2026 projections.
FAQS
Chief technology officer FAQs.
A CTO defines and leads the company’s technology vision — ensuring the right architecture, people, and platforms are in place to support growth. They act as a bridge between engineering and commercial strategy, balancing innovation with scalability and cost.
In most tech-led businesses, yes. A strong engineering foundation is critical for making architectural decisions, mentoring senior leaders, and ensuring tech strategy supports product delivery. However, in some later-stage companies, the CTO may lean more toward operations or innovation.
Proven experience scaling teams, leading digital transformation, and delivering systems at scale. The ideal CTO can manage trade-offs between speed and stability, build technical culture, and communicate clearly with non-technical leadership and investors.
This varies with company size. In early-stage startups, CTOs may code, design infrastructure, and run sprints. In scaleups and enterprise firms, their role is strategic — focused on vision, people management, and technical governance across functions.
Balancing innovation with technical debt, scaling systems without slowing delivery, retaining top engineering talent, and embedding security, privacy, and compliance into the tech roadmap. The CTO also often leads due diligence in investment or M&A contexts.
For many, the CTO role is the top of the technical track. However, CTOs may transition into broader executive roles such as Chief Product Officer, COO, or startup founder. Some also move into advisory or venture roles after exit or IPO.
