Chief Technology Officer (CTO) @ Pre-Series-A-ClimateTech

Permanent employee, Full-time · Berlin

Your mission

What You’ll Be Doing

You're not stepping into an existing org, you’re here to build it. You want to build something that matters, with your own hands and with people who care. As our Chief Technology Officer, you’ll lead the development of the core platform while still being in the trenches: shipping features, debugging workflows, and turning rough ideas into resilient systems.

We’re a VC-backed Seed-stage startup, so this is both a strategic and operational role. You’ll own our tech vision, but you’ll also be in the trenches for the first 12–18 months, shipping features, debugging edge cases, and translating real-world needs into code that runs.

We strongly believe in leveraging the power of AI and lean engineering teams. If this isn’t how you see the future of tech, this role likely won’t be the right fit.

The three biggest challenges in the first year:

1. Build the Engineering Org from Scratch
Define the structure, standards, and culture from the ground up. You will start by building alongside our full stack engineer, then hire and mentor others to multiply your impact.

2. Scale and leverage our No-Code Infrastructure
Turn fast-moving no-code and low-code prototypes into scalable, reliable systems. You will lay the technical foundation for how we build as we grow.

3. Make Engineering a Multiplier
Design infrastructure that scales not just with users but with the business. You will work closely with Product and other teams to turn tech into a competitive advantage. From AI-native automation to internal tools, you will help engineering become a multiplier across the company.

Here’s what you’ll dive into:

Write code and ship features – You’re still hands-on. You’ll be building the most critical parts of our system and tech stack in year one.
Define our long-term technical strategy and roadmap – You’ll balance speed and reliability as we move from MVP to platform. You will work closely with our CEO and Director of Product to achieve this.
Represent Engineering in Leadership – You’ll shape company-wide decisions, own tech due diligence, and prepare us for Series A scale.
Lay the foundation for team growth – You’ll recruit, mentor, and level up more engineers as we scale.
Work with AI-native and low-code tools – You’ll integrate AI-assisted development and low-code scaffolding where it makes sense.
Collaborate across functions – You’ll build internal tools and customer-facing systems that support Sales, Marketing, Ops, and Finance.
Establish how we build – From CI/CD to security to documentation, you’ll define our standards and practices from a clean slate.

Your profile

8+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, with at least 2+ years in a founding or senior leadership role.
You’ve helped build a VC-backed startup from Pre-Seed / Seed to Series A+, starting as a hands-on technical contributor and evolving into a strategic leader.
Experience in construction, field services, or other operationally complex businesses is a strong plus.
You still love to code, unblock, and optimize. You do more than plan and delegate.
You are a full-stack thinker with strong backend fundamentals and product intuition.
You are excited by AI-native workflows, modern development environments, and pragmatic low-code integrations.
You know how to build fast in high-ambiguity settings, and when to slow down to build sustainably.
You are a strong communicator who can align business, product, and technical needs.
You want to help shape not just a product, but an entire company.

Why us?

Competitive compensation package: We will offer you a mix of cash and stock options based on your appetite for upside.
️Be part of our core-team: building in a super-hot phase of an early-stage climate-tech startup.
Make an impact at VARM: Shape our culture and the way we work and collaborate together. Nothing is set in stone – you have a direct impact, while we are growing and building together.
Make an impact on the earth: Do you want to make a difference in the fight against climate change? Become part of the solution and actively shape the energy transition.
Onsite first, but hybrid work keeps us flexible: We believe that in-person collaboration is an integral part of working together, but offer flexibility for remote working.
Grow with us: We take your personal development seriously, which includes being mentored and challenged in regular founder feedback sessions.
Start–up culture: We offer you hybrid work, training, team events, and a great office setup in the heart of Kreuzberg.
Discounted fitness programs.
Diversity & Inclusion: We value diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds.

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About us

Why Now?
Buildings are the largest energy consumers in Europe, making them CO₂ monsters. They account for 40% of our energy usage, causing 36% of all EU CO₂ emissions. That's why the decarbonization of buildings is essential for a sustainable future.

Why Us?
At VARM, we are pushing insulation forward. We help our customers save up to 50% on their heating costs and decrease their CO₂ emissions. To scale insulation, we just closed a strong Seed Round with top-tier investors. Join our mission now to change an entire industry for good.

Our Goal?
Becoming Europe’s insulation champion and insulate 1 million houses over the next 10 years! Now is your chance to be part of our vision. Join us in building a market-leading company in the climate sector. Unf*ck the planet with us and actively contribute to slashing CO₂ emissions from buildings.

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We are looking forward to your application!

We appreciate your interest in VARM GmbH. Please fill in the following short form. Should you have any difficulties in uploading your files, please contact us by mail at hiring@varm.earth.