Hiring

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

About Parachute
Predatory lenders are the only choice for over 7 million Canadians who have low credit scores. These high interest loans with hidden fees create a negative spiral that makes it almost impossible to achieve financial stability. Canadians need a more sustainable solution.

Meet Parachute – a loan that actually changes lives.

Our three-step approach combines a lower interest rate with no hidden fees, a data driven app that guides user behaviour, and a shared value rebate system to reward targeted outcomes. We’re on a path to strong sustainable growth, built by a team with deep experience in credit, behavioural science and building start-ups.

We are looking for a few exceptional people with an entrepreneurial spirit, who want to join an innovative and rapidly growing company that is laser focused on our customers success. We want people with a hands-on, “can-do” attitude, and who are at their best when the pressure is on. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and want a career, not a job, and you are willing to roll up your sleeves in this early-stage start-up, we just might be made for each other.
Position Overview
The CTO is a key leadership position and member of our senior team, responsible for delivering best-in-class, customer-focused technology for Parachute’s customers and staff alike. Reporting to the CEO & COO, this individual is both operationally and strategically focused. They will build out our tech platform to execute our purpose driven vision, while also ensuring the security, availability, integrity and scalability of all of our IT systems and infrastructure. As a forward-thinking technology leader, this individual will build the IT team as we grow to be an agile and proactive service focused organization, providing a clear vision for our technology evolution, backed by solid execution. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned technologist who is collaborative, dependable, inventive, smart, and decisive. They need to build a strong team, solid relationships across the company, identify issues and opportunities, all while creating a technology vision and translating that into execution. In the early stages this is a very hands-on role, driving much of the IT delivery themselves.
Duties & Responsibilities
  • Build and execute the technology strategy and roadmap helping to shape the company vision and mission. This needs to be done with a focus on security, cloud engineering, and over all technology operations, while ensuring its integration and alignment with the overall IT and business strategic plans in place today
  • Lead the evaluation of existing processes and initiate change to a future state structure where required
  • Establish fit for purpose objectives, policies, and procedures including implementation to ensure high availability and security of critical technology systems
  • Develop and control the annual operating and capital expenditure budget for Parachute’s technology area
  • Oversee management of the daily operations and staff (external or internal to Parachute) of all IT business systems (both hardware and software)
  • Cultivate strong vendor partnerships to achieve optimal solutions and output
  • Build and execute fit for purpose governance within the organization, including over time, a focus on Incident and Change Management
  • Oversee installation, operation, and maintenance of our cloud footprint, end user computing, peripherals, backup systems, all data communications between multiple supplications & vendors, and all voice communications. This includes managing external IT providers/vendors

Qualifications
  • Technical expertise with the tools we use: AWS, Docker, Python/Java/Node.js, ReactJS, GraphQL, MySQL, etc.
  • An ability to balance a sense of urgency with shipping high quality and pragmatic solutions
  • A proven track record for coaching, managing and developing technical team leaders and engineers, to develop departmental career ladder and training plans to better facilitate talent growth & development within the team
  • Expertise in building up Change Management and Incident Management practices
  • Well-honed negotiation skills: ability to create buy- in to new concepts and ideas, ability to negotiate with internal and external key stakeholders
  • Proven track record of delivering “breakthrough” IT capability, thinking and results
  • Superior planning, prioritization and organizational skills, as well as budget preparation and monitoring skills
  • High degree of resilience and strong change leadership
  • Strong problem solving and ability to adapt approach in a fast- paced, ever-changing environment
  • Strong presentation skills: effective communication as both an executive business partner as well as a technology leader
  • An eye for emerging talent: Ability to hire and develop a diverse, high performing workforce when needed
  • Demonstrated ability to work from a very small team, rolling up their sleeves, while also having the capability and vision to build out a longer-term team and department – to scale as we do!
About the Gig
  • A noble, social mission that creates meaningful, fulfilling work
  • A team that cares deeply for customers and for each other
  • We’re a company of invested owners
  • A management team focused on performance, growth, engagement and connection
  • Passionate customers that believe in us—and what we do
  • Work-life flexibility
  • Hybrid work environment
  • Generous annual vacation allotment
For more information, please visit myparachute.co/careers
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer
At Parachute, our value of respect in the workplace is founded on seeing diversity as a strength, being inclusive and fostering collaboration. We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive, accessible workplace where all individuals feel valued, respected, and heard.
Apply Now
If you're interested in this position, please send an email with your resume and cover letter to mark@myparachute.co.
Apply now

We truly believe financial well-being should be accessible to all Canadians. Our three step program empowers, educates, and rewards our customers. We offer the only loan where someone can leave with more savings than when they started.

Parachute is not a a bankruptcy, consumer proposal or debt management proposal company.
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