Vice President of Engineering/CTO - Fintech startup

My client is an exciting Fintech startup with an established client based in the DACH region is building the leading financing ecosystem, powered by automation, integration, and a flexible digital platform. The company is scaling and is looking for a very hands-on VP of Engineering/ CTO to lead the technology strategy and operations for OEMs, financing partners, and customers across the industry.Location. : Zürich area / or willing to relocate immidiately.We are looking for a technology leader who is just as comfortable rolling up his/her sleeves as setting long-term strategy—someone who combines deep technical expertise with strong operational leadership to deliver results.As VP of Engineering/CTO, you will report directly to the CEO and be responsible for developing and executing our technology roadmap. You will work hands-on with engineering teams to ensure the architecture, platforms, and operations directly support key business priorities and measurable outcomes.Your responsibilities will include:Lead the end-to-end architecture, engineering, DevOps, security, product, data, and AI functions (team of 15+ engineers across backend, frontend, DevOps; plans to grow).Personally drive robust cloud infrastructure, API, data architecture, and cybersecurity design ensuring all systems are secure, resilient, and scalable.Oversee product planning, requirements, and releases, merging product vision with technical feasibility.Implement and optimize CI/CD processes, infrastructure-as-code deployments, and cloud-native strategies for fast, reliable delivery.Evaluate and manage integration of new technologies and vendors to support rapid evolution of platform features.Operational DeliveryEnsure high reliability, security, and compliance to regulatory and business partner standards.Monitor and continuously improve system performance, automation, and workflows.Set and track metrics for feature releases, service quality, cost efficiency, and time-to-market.Team LeadershipReport directly to the CEO.Lead both in-house and global remote teams, supporting hiring and scaling plans to expand inhouse capabilities.Foster a delivery-focused team culture centered on transparent communication, continuous improvement, and high ownership.RequirementsMinimum 10+ years in tech leadership, including 5+ years as CTO/VP Engineering or similar role,ideally in fintech, finance, or regulated industries.Deep expertise in cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP), API design, data architecture, distributed. Java, Node.js, React, systems, and cybersecurity.Proven experience managing high-performance engineering teams across multiple geographies.Hands-on approach to technology – prefers rolling up sleeves and being involved.Track record delivering platforms at scale with strong operational KPIs.Experience in regulated sectors (e.g., finance, payments) highly preferred; prior automotive experiencenot necessarily required.Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Information Technology is a MUSTSwiss/EU national or Permanent Resident visa in the Schengen area. Fluent written and spoken English a must, Fluent German a plus. Please send your CV in complete confidence. We will contact you to further discuss this role.PLEASE NOTE: All non-Schengen candidates will be automatically disqualified.