Fractional CTO (Technology & AI Governance)

At ALOHAS, we are building an AI-native company. Technology is not a support function. It is the foundation of how the entire business operates: product, brand, growth, finance, and operations.

We are looking for a Fractional CTO to provide senior technical leadership, focusing on technology strategy, architecture governance, and partner oversight, while enabling fast execution through our AI Software Crafter and specialized technology partners.

This is a high-leverage leadership position. You will not build, you will set direction, review decisions, and ensure technology translates into business value.

As Fractional CTO, your mission will be to:

• Define and evolve the technical vision of an AI-native company

• Ensure our partner ecosystem delivers quality, on time, aligned with architecture

• Provide strategic oversight without becoming a delivery bottleneck

• Act as safety net and backup for critical technical decisions

• Translate technology to CEO and leadership team

• Translate business objectives into executable technology strategies

• Communicate technology vision, risks, and opportunities to CEO

• Support leadership decisions on growth, scalability, and transformation

• Work alongside COO who implements business logic hands-on with AI tools

• Strategic oversight of 5+ specialized technology partners:

• Quarterly partner performance reviews

• Contract negotiations and vendor selection (with COO)

• Identify when to replace underperforming partners

• Maintain backup vendor relationships

• Define target architectures for scalability, performance, maintainability

• Review and validate architectural decisions from AI Software Crafter and partners

• Lead architectural transformation initiatives when needed

• Ensure long-term coherence across all systems (Shopify, Odoo, Data, AI agents)

• Guide AI agent strategy and orchestration approach

• Review MCP server implementations and tool integrations

• Ensure AI initiatives align with overall architecture

• Balance rapid experimentation with production stability

• Define comprehensive testing strategy across products and integrations

• Establish quality standards and acceptance criteria

• Promote quality as built-in capability, not afterthought

• Review partner testing practices and deliverable quality

• Establish lightweight, effective development governance:

  • Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)

  • Coding, integration, and documentation standards

  • Review and validation processes

• AI Software Crafter enforces governance daily; CTO reviews quarterly

• Apply governance consistently across internal and partner development

• Set strategy for technical debt reduction

• Define prioritization framework for tech debt vs. features

• AI Software Crafter and partners execute; CTO reviews progress

• Balance delivery needs with long-term sustainability

• Act as strategic counterpart and sounding board

• Provide architectural clarity and prioritization support

• Ensure rapid AI-driven experimentation happens within scalable framework

• Serve as backup if AI Software Crafter is unavailable or leaves

• Can step into 4-5 days/week temporarily during transitions

YOU WILL ROCK AT THIS ROLE IF YOU HAVE...

• Proven experience as CTO, Fractional CTO, VP Engineering, or Principal Architect

• Track record in architectural evolution and transformation of digital platforms

• Strong experience defining and executing medium/long-term technical strategies

• Experience managing technology vendors and partners

• Deep understanding of:

  • Modern backend/frontend architectures

  • Cloud-native platforms (GCP required)

  • API-first and event-driven systems

• Solid background in testing strategies, CI/CD, quality frameworks

• Comfortable operating at C-level with technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Able to provide direction without becoming delivery bottleneck

• Familiarity with AI/LLM landscape and agentic systems

• Experience in Fashion/Retail/E-commerce

• Knowledge of Shopify and Odoo

• Experience supporting high-growth or transformation phases

• A Culture of Freedom, Responsibility & Trust: We believe in autonomy, accountability, and mutual respect.

• Flexible Working Hours ⏰: Adapt your schedule to your lifestyle. We trust you to get the job done.

• We're a Company with Soul

  • We live and breathe sustainability 🌱

  • We support family-life balance, parenthood, gender equality, and diversity👶🏼

• Exclusive Discounts 💯

  • Enjoy up to 70% off our products

  • Your family and friends benefit too!

• Home Office Setup 💻

  • Laptop + essential peripherals (keyboard, mouse, monitor)

• Growth & Happiness 🌈

  • Constructive feedback, ongoing learning, and support for your professional journey

• Monthly After-Work Events in Barcelona 🎉

  • Because we like to celebrate together!

• Flexible days per week (~40 hours/month), flexible scheduling

• Monthly strategy session with CEO + COO

• Weekly sync with AI Software Crafter (30-60 min)

• Quarterly partner reviews and architecture assessments

• Pragmatic, impact-driven mindset

• Preference for clarity over complexity

• Strong bias toward enablement rather than control

• Available for temporary increase during crises or transitions

ALOHAS is more than a fashion brand: it's a responsible shopping experience and a chance to participate in the fight against overproduction in fashion.

Working at ALOHAS is being part of the innovation and growth of a Spanish start-up with a young, creative and proactive team, good communication and a high level of energy! It's demanding but extremely rewarding due to an environment where we take pride in learning from one another and strive to make sustainability a way of life beyond the workplace.

In a nutshell, we love what we do and it shows! 😀

About ALOHAS
Apply to work with us: careers.alohas.com/jobs
Our website: alohas.com and IG: @alohas