Chief Technology Officer - Heavy Construction & Contracting

Job Description

Job Description

Job Purpose

This Senior Executive role as Chief Technology Officer will drive our heavy-construction contracting business into the next era of data-driven, robotics-enabled excellence. You will be the architect of our technological evolution- shaping systems that deliver safer, faster and more profitable projects in the most challenging environments.

As CTO, you will define and own the end-to-end technology vision, translating frontier-site challenges into transformative solutions. You will lead research, development and large-scale deployments of autonomous earth-moving equipment, laser-guided screeds, drones, humanoid robots and BIM-based digital twins. Working closely with a high-caliber team of engineers, data scientists and field technologists, you will integrate AI-powered analytics, IoT telemetry and robust cyber-physical security to optimize safety, quality and profitability.

In partnership with the executive leadership team, you will secure buy-in and resources for strategic initiatives, build cap-ex business cases, and champion operator adoption through tailored training and change-management programs. Your mission is to ensure that every project benefits from best-of-breed solutions, while upholding the highest standards of data governance, cloud resilience and regulatory compliance. This role reports directly to the GM/CEO, with a dotted line to the Board of Directors, and demands both a hands-on technologist’s curiosity and a strategist’s business acumen.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Roadmapping
  Craft a 3–5-year technology strategy and translate it into annual plans, budget requests and KPIs. Lead cap-ex/business cases that clearly articulate ROI, TCO and risk mitigation for autonomous and digital-twin investments.
• Automation & Robotics Deployment
  Scout, evaluate and integrate autonomous earth-moving systems, laser-guided screeds, drones, computer-vision safety platforms and humanoid robots. Oversee pilot program design, vendor selection, lab prototyping and phased field rollouts- iterating rapidly based on lessons learned.
• Digital Construction & Data Analytics
  Implement BIM-based digital twins across project lifecycles for real-time progress tracking and predictive “what-if” simulations. Architect IoT telemetry frameworks and predictive-maintenance analytics to optimize equipment uptime, utilization and labor productivity.
• Innovation Portfolio Management & R&D Oversight
  Establish an R&D lab governance model: ideation pipelines, vendor partnerships, university collaborations and pilot-to-scale processes. Oversee research and development projects end-to-end, ensuring they deliver cost-effective, competitive products and smoothly transition from prototype to production.
• Stakeholder Enablement & Change Management
  Translate site-level pain points into executive-level business cases, presentations and ROI dashboards. Design operator training programs, “train-the-trainer” models and digital adoption frameworks to drive sustained utilization of new tools.
• Governance, Security & Regulatory Compliance
  Partner with shared-services IT to define architecture standards, data-governance policies, cloud-security controls and cyber-physical safety protocols. Ensure all technological processes and services comply with industry regulations (e.g., OSHA, ISO 19650 for BIM), UAV/autonomous-systems requirements, and internal audit mandates.
• Team Leadership & Culture Building
  Head up a lean internal technology team; matrix-manage field-IT, data-science and cybersecurity resources. Foster a culture of “safety-first innovation” through regular learning forums, hackathons and cross-functional working groups.
• Technology Vigilance & Industry Trends
  Stay ahead of technology trends and developments in the UAV and autonomous-systems industry to keep the company at the cutting edge. Maintain a “watch list” of emerging tools and approaches, running regular horizon-scanning and feasibility assessments.
• Executive Collaboration & Resource Growth
  Collaborate with the executive team to identify and secure the technological resources and capabilities needed for strategic growth. Advocate for investments in talent, infrastructure and partnerships that bolster our competitive position.

The above list of responsibilities is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organisation.

Requirements

Key Competencies

• Strategic & Analytical Thinking: Able to translate business goals into technology roadmaps and quantify benefits.
• Robotics & Automation Expertise: Deep understanding of autonomous machinery, computer vision, ROS-based systems and integration challenges.
• Digital Construction Proficiency: Hands-on experience with BIM authoring tools (Revit, Navisworks), digital-twin platforms and IoT architectures.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Skilled in predictive-analytics, KPI-driven performance tracking and A/B testing of field pilots.
• Change Management & Communication: Proven ability to lead multi-stakeholder change - translating technical concepts into clear business value.
• Vendor & Partnership Management: Track record building win-win relationships with robotics OEMs, software vendors and research institutions.
• Governance & Cyber-Physical Security: Familiar with cloud best practices (AWS, Azure), data-governance frameworks and OT/IT convergence risks.
• Leadership & Talent Development: Experience recruiting, mentoring and retaining specialist engineers, data scientists and field technologists.

Education / Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Robotics), Computer Science or related STEM field.
• An advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related technical discipline is strongly preferred (M.Sc., Ph.D. or MBA).

• 10+ years in progressive technology leadership roles- ideally within heavy civil, mining, energy, large EPC, aerospace, defense or robotics environments.
• Proven track record deploying automation, IoT and digital-twin solutions at scale, driving measurable safety, quality and productivity improvements.
• Demonstrated leadership in a technology-driven organization, with experience building and managing large, cross-functional technical teams and complex projects.
• Extensive knowledge of UAV (drone) technology, artificial intelligence and systems integration- familiarity with drone platforms, avionics, sensor payloads and flight-control software.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to develop multi-year technology roadmaps, build cap-ex business cases and quantify ROI.
• Excellent communication skills, able to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to site operators, executive leadership, vendors and board members.
• Comfortable operating in, or rotating through, remote/rural project environments with hands-on troubleshooting.

Benefits

The base salary for this position has a range of $270k up to $370k per year at the commencement of employment. Any offer is determined by overall experience and performance during the interview process. This is only part of the total compensation package.

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401k
• Life Insurance

We value diversity and always treat all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.