Chief Technology Officer / CTO

Posted 16 hours 45 minutes ago by Ecosia GmbH

125 000,00 € - 150 000,00 € Annual
Permanent
Full Time
Other
Berlin, Germany
Job Description

Build a better way to search: for users, for Europe, and for the planet.

Ecosia is building a credible alternative to Big Tech search: a mission-driven product that supports climate action with every search.

As our next Chief Technology Officer, you will help shape how millions of people experience search and browsing - at a moment when AI, assistants, and new interaction models are redefining user expectations.

This is a backfill role in a product-led company with a clear mission, an established user base, and exciting technical and strategic challenges ahead.

Your role

As CTO, you are a product-oriented technology leader: someone who thinks first in terms of user value and outcomes, and uses technology as the lever to deliver them.

Your opportunity to make an impact
  • Own Ecosia's technology vision and execution, ensuring our platforms evolve quickly to changing needs.

  • Co-own product direction with Product and Design, ensuring technology supports efficient iteration and high-quality user experiences

  • Establish and enhance a capable engineering leadership team, guiding and supporting a group of engineering managers while promoting clarity, focus, and accountability

  • Translate product strategy into technical priorities, balancing speed, quality, cost, and long-term maintainability

  • Promote innovation in search and browsing, including AI-assisted experiences, GPT-based interfaces, and emerging paradigms

  • Make pragmatic technology decisions that respect Ecosia's mission, financial constraints, and environmental impact

  • Advance European digital sovereignty, deepening our partnership with Qwant and contributing to a more independent search ecosystem with our joint-venture European Search Perspective (EUSP).

Your areas of knowledge and expertise
  • You gained experience as a CTO or senior technology leader in a product-led organization

  • Your capability to lead through leaders, to drive transformation, and deliver outcomes in complex situations is evident

  • You are tech curious and are comfortable challenging technical assumptions, asking the right questions, and staying close to key architectural decisions

  • You successfully drove the adoption of AI-assisted development practices within your organizations

  • You acknowledge diversity and understand the importance of creating an inclusive workplace

  • You have a bias towards action and pragmatism, both in your own work and in your enablement of others.

The bigger picture
  • You shape what millions of users experience every day, not just internal systems

  • You work at the intersection of product, technology, and purpose

  • You help define how AI and search can be done responsibly - outside Big Tech

  • You contribute to a European technology ecosystem with long-term societal relevance

At Ecosia, we believe great products can drive real change. This role lets you prove it.

Process
  • Talent Partner call ( ️ 45')

  • Leadership Interview ( ️ 60')

  • Technical conversation ( ️ 1h15')

  • Product call ( ️ 60')

Why Ecosia?

What if your job made a real difference in the climate crisis? Join Ecosia and help plant millions of trees where people and ecosystems need them most.

  • We are a diverse team, committed to equality, equity, and inclusion, with members from various backgrounds: sexual orientations, genders, ages, races, ethnicities, nationalities, physical and mental disabilities, family structures, and religions.

  • We offer you the opportunity to balance work with other parts of your life: flexible working hours, 30 vacation days per year (based on a five-day workweek), designated Focus Times, and remote work options.

  • Our green benefits program - including subsidized public transport cards and bike inspection services - supports your sustainable living choices in Berlin.

  • We support your professional growth through learning times, hack days, online and physical libraries, and continuous feedback.

Q&A How many people work at Ecosia?

106 (Jan 2026): our departments include Engineering (incl. Platform and QA), Product (incl. Design), Trees, Operations (incl. Marketing, B2B & BI), and People.

Where is Ecosia based, and what kind of work setup do we have?

We are a remote-friendly company with one office in Berlin-Wedding. People come to the office or work from home per their wishes and/or circumstances. Some roles require presence in the office at least from time to time. Company language: English.