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
