Chief of Staff to CTO

Posted:
3/17/2025, 5:10:46 AM

Location(s):
Karnataka, India

Experience Level(s):
Expert or higher ⋅ Senior

Field(s):
AI & Machine Learning

Workplace Type:
Hybrid

Who are we?

Ema is building the next generation AI technology to empower every employee in the enterprise to be their most creative and productive. Our proprietary tech allows enterprises to delegate most repetitive tasks to Ema, the Universal AI employee. We are founded by ex-Google, Coinbase, Okta executives, and serial entrepreneurs. We’re well-funded by the top investors and angels in the world. Ema is based in Silicon Valley and Bangalore. This will be a hybrid role where we expect employees to work from office three days a week.

Role Overview

As Chief of Staff to the CTO at Ema, you will be responsible for execution support, cross-functional coordination, and strategic operations. You’ll act as the right-hand person to the CTO, ensuring the technology organization is operating efficiently and effectively.

This role requires a structured, highly organized individual with a technical background, strong communication skills, and the ability to drive execution in a fast-moving startup environment. The ideal candidate is a problem solver who thrives in ambiguity, can juggle multiple priorities, and enjoys bringing order to chaos.

Why This Role?

This is not an ordinary Chief of Staff role. At Ema, we are pioneering agentic AI employees—a next-generation approach to AI automation that is changing how businesses operate. As Chief of Staff to the CTO, you will be embedded at the center of engineering, product, design, field engineering, and technical customer support, gaining an unparalleled view of how a deep-tech startup scales.

You’ll work directly with the CTO, solving high-impact execution challenges, ensuring the technology organization runs efficiently, and stepping in wherever necessary to drive mission-critical initiatives. If you're looking for a high-exposure, high-autonomy role where you can apply your technical expertise while developing strong leadership and operational skills, this is an exceptional opportunity.

What’s in it for You?

Direct Mentorship from the CTO – Work alongside Souvik (Ema's CTO & Co-founder), learning how a world-class engineering organization is built.
A Front-Row Seat to Cutting-Edge AI Development – Be at the core of how agentic AI is shaping the enterprise automation landscape.
Opportunity to Scale a High-Growth Startup – Get firsthand experience in how a company scales from an early-stage startup to an enterprise player.
Cross-Functional Exposure – Work across engineering, product, and go-to-market teams, gaining insights that will accelerate your career trajectory.
Step Into Leadership – This role is a launchpad for future leadership positions. Whether you aspire to be a VP of Engineering, or Head of Operations this role will prepare you for it.

Key Responsibilities

Execution & Operations

  • Keep the CTO focused on the highest-impact initiatives by managing their agenda, priorities, and follow-ups.

  • Ensure key initiatives and projects within Engineering, Product, and Technical Support teams stay on track.

  • Own operational processes (e.g., meeting cadences, tracking OKRs, reporting frameworks) to improve efficiency.

  • Proactively identify gaps, bottlenecks, and risks and help remove execution roadblocks.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Act as a bridge between Engineering, Product, and Business teams, ensuring seamless coordination.

  • Organize and streamline communication between the CTO and other key stakeholders.

  • Drive alignment on technical initiatives, hiring priorities, and strategic projects.

  • Represent the CTO in certain meetings and ensure effective follow-ups and action tracking.

Strategic Support

  • Assist in technical decision-making by synthesizing inputs from different teams.

  • Provide data-driven insights to inform the CTO’s strategic direction.

  • Prepare high-quality presentations and reports for leadership discussions.

  • Stay on top of industry trends, competitive moves, and emerging technologies to inform strategy.

Who You Are

Must-Have Qualifications

  • Technical Background – Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

  • 5+ years experience in the tech industry (Engineering, Product, or Technical Program Management).

  • Highly structured & organized – Can juggle multiple projects and bring clarity to complex problems.

  • Excellent communication skills – Can articulate complex ideas clearly and concisely.

  • Strong execution & project management – Ability to take initiatives from start to finish.

  • High ownership & adaptability – Willing to dive into both high-level strategy and operational details.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in a high-growth startup or fast-paced tech environment.

  • Understanding of AI, automation, or enterprise software.

  • Background in management consulting or strategy roles (e.g., Bain, BCG, McKinsey) is a plus.

Ema Unlimited is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetics.