Chief Technology Officer for Civic Media & AI Startup (Founding Team)

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) — Engage60 (Civic Media & AI Startup | Pre-Seed Stage) Location: Remote (U.S.) Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, Contract Compensation: Equity-based until funding closes; full salary begins immediately following $750,000 Pre-Seed Round (closing Q4 2025) ⸻ About Engage60 If TikTok and Instagram Reels could rebuild American democracy — it would look like this. Engage60 is America’s next-generation short-form civic engagement platform, designed to restore trust in media and revive participation in democracy — one minute at a time. We deliver verified civic news stories in 60-second videos and explainers, powered by licensed sources (AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, Politico, NPR, PBS, and The Hill) and enhanced through AI automation. Every story includes four interactive buttons — Agree, Disagree, Perspective, Take Action — transforming passive news consumption into active civic participation. The response in our first 30 days has been overwhelming: Over 11,000+ people joined our waitlist in just 30 days, proving the demand for a platform that merges civic engagement with short-form storytelling. Mission: To restore America’s civic heartbeat by turning short-form content into real-world action. ⸻ The Opportunity Engage60 is seeking a visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to join the founding team and lead all things product, AI, and engineering alongside our founding iOS Full-Stack Developer. You’ll architect, build, and scale a platform that merges AI-powered video generation, trusted journalism, and interactive civic engagement, creating the first civic app that feels as seamless and addictive as TikTok or Reels — but with purpose. ⸻ Key Responsibilities • Lead end-to-end development of Engage60’s mobile app (iOS). • Architect and scale an AI-driven video aggregation and summarization engine, integrating OpenAI, Gemini, and Veo3. • Build a secure, scalable backend supporting personalization, moderation, and engagement analytics. • Collaborate with design and UX/UI teams to deliver a feed experience as intuitive as Reels — but built for civic participation. • Manage the product roadmap and ensure readiness for rapid user growth and monetization (AdMob, sponsored ads). • Build and mentor a world-class in-house engineering team post-funding. • Partner with the CEO on technical strategy, investor presentations, and product vision. ⸻ Ideal Candidate • 5–10+ years in software development or technical leadership, ideally with consumer app, news/media, or civic tech experience. • Fluent in mobile app development (React Native, Flutter, Swift, or equivalent). • Strong grasp of AI/ML models, automation, and scalable API design. • Proven record of shipping and scaling consumer products. • Entrepreneurial builder comfortable operating in a lean, fast-moving startup. • Passionate about technology’s role in strengthening democracy and civic engagement. ⸻ What We Offer • Founding Team Equity Participation • Salary begins immediately after our $750,000 Pre-Seed Round (closing Q4 2025) • Full creative control over architecture, AI vision, and engineering culture • The chance to build the next great civic media platform — addictive as TikTok, as credible as AP, as actionable as Change.org • National visibility and a mission that matters Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Contract Pay: $1.00 per year Work Location: Remote Apply tot his job