Remote
US
$246K–$344K
⚙️Operations
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Field Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
US-Remote
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
At 8th Light, we bring life to the best ideas.
Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Chicago, we are a technology solutions provider that partners with organizations to solve meaningful challenges and drive sustainable growth. From early-stage startups to global enterprises, we work across industries to optimize our clients’ digital products through product strategy innovation, experiential design, AI solutions, and deep engineering expertise.
Our commitment to quality means we deliver solutions we’re truly proud of, while our curiosity sparks innovation and breakthrough thinking. 8th Lights thrive in an environment that champions continuous education, fueling our growth through mentorship and hands-on work. We foster an open, collaborative culture grounded in honesty that builds trust, and believe true success is measured by the outcomes we create for our clients.
If this kind of work and our kind of people energizes you, you’ve found the right place.
You’ve spent 10+ years in custom software consultancies, and you’ve been a regular presence on both sides of the business: in the room helping win the work, and in delivery helping build it. You know how to pitch a client honestly and then stand behind what you promised.
You’re highly articulate and commercially fluent. You can talk architecture with a skeptical engineering lead in one meeting and talk ROI with a client’s CEO in the next, and both walk away trusting you. You understand how technical choices shape whether a project makes money because you’ve had to make those calls yourself.
Your technical judgment comes from years of hands-on work, and you keep it current in two ways: you read widely, and you keep doing the work. “Doing” might be a few hours each week staying sharp with new tools, or it might be real delivery responsibility on a live engagement. Either way, you don’t run on knowledge that stopped accruing years ago.
You’re comfortable leading by influence rather than authority. You may not be our deepest expert on any single topic, and that’s fine, because your value shows up differently:
Your name carries some weight in the communities you’re part of. When you write or speak, senior engineers pay attention, and a few of them want to come work with you.
This is primarily a market-facing role. You’d rather be out in the market shaping where we go than waiting inside for an assignment.
We win work by earning technical trust before a contract is ever signed, and by being genuinely present in the market the rest of the time. This role carries both. You’ll report to the CEO and work most closely with the CEO, the VP of Growth, our practice Partners, and senior technologists.
Your primary focus will require you to:
Internally, your footprint is lighter but real. You’re the standard other technologists measure themselves against, and you’re a mentor to those working on their business leadership and impact. You’ll weigh in from time to time on technical job standards and career pathing. You’ll start without direct reports and lead through influence, and as we grow, the role could grow into leading a small team.
We’d particularly like to hear from applicants with:
Our pay range for the Field CTO role is $230,000–$287,500 USD, plus 20–30% variable compensation based on performance.
This role involves regular but not frequent travel, mostly for in-person events, client pitches, and the occasional team gatherings.
At 8th Light, our culture is built on the belief that our collective growth and well-being are the drivers of our future.
See our full list of Benefits.
8th Light’s culture is rooted in strong connections that extend across our teams, regions, and beyond client work. We are a distributed team across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with hubs in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.
If you are hired into a hub, you will be part of a team with regular rituals around co-working and community building. For team members outside of those cities, we offer access to coworking spaces to foster continued collaboration and connection across our global team.
We hope to see you apply!
At 8th Light, one of our core values is Honesty that builds trust — and that shapes how we approach hiring. We want you to have a clear picture of who we are, what we're looking for, and how we handle your information throughout the process.
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USD 230,000 - 287,500
Annually
