About Combinder:

Combinder stands for "Combination of Distributed Energy Resources." We are a Decentralised Physical lnfrastructure Network (DePIN), that connects the electrical devices of its participants—such as solar panels, home appliances, heat pumps, etc.—into a global pool of Micro-Flexibilities.

Unlike traditional DePINs, which often rely on bespoke hardware rollouts, Combinder takes a radically scalable approach - protocol driven, software-first with focus on low-friction onboarding of people's existing devices. Our architecture empowers smart devices to participate in energy markets and enables agentic AI to interact with real-world assets — a missing piece in today's energy transition.

Just having released our open beta and successfully raised a pre-seed round, we are not looking for the typical CTO but someone to take ownership over a variety of topics in a dynamic start-up and has the ability to think the solution from the user’s end - more generalist than specialist, more entrepreneur than employee.

You will play a key role in building the core orchestration layer that enables seamless interaction between devices, users, and energy markets, while implementing innovative incentivization methods to drive network growth and adoption.

Responsibilities:

• Architect and lead the technical development of decentralized infrastructure for monitoring, aggregating, and controlling DERs - scalable, secure, and robust.
• Design and maintain the overall system architecture, integrating multiple dynamic components into a mediation/orchestration layer that manages devices, service providers, API consumers, prices, rewards, and control mechanisms.
• Translate theoretical tokenomic models into a fully functional reward system that incentivizes users to connect their DERs and service providers to build applications on top of Combinder.
• Develop integrations with IoT devices, including smart home appliances, EV chargers, HVAC systems, and other flexible loads, ensuring interoperability across different brands and standards.
• Lead and scale the engineering team, recruiting top-tier developers and fostering a high-performance culture.
• Implement AI-driven optimization strategies to enhance forecasting, demand response, and energy flexibility services.
• Ensure compliance with energy regulations and data privacy laws while leveraging EVM based decentralized identity frameworks for secure device authentication.
• Drive the adoption of AI and automation tools to optimize internal development workflows.
• Collaborate closely with business and product teams to ensure alignment between technology, user needs, and go-to-market strategy.
• Evaluate and integrate new technologies and frameworks ensuring Combinder stays at the forefront of the DePIN and Web3 energy space.

Who We Are Looking For -

Must-Haves:

• Entrepreneurial mindset – has ideally been a founder or early-stage startup leader.
• Strong leadership experience – has managed and scaled engineering teams, including at least 2 senior engineers.
• Proven experience with IoT and Web3 technologies, including device integration, real-time data streaming, and decentralized infrastructure.
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, energy data networks, and IoT platforms.
• Experience with API-based platforms and designing developer-friendly SDKs for third-party integrations.
• Hands-on experience with blockchain-based architectures, including EVM-compatible smart contracts, tokenized incentives, and DePIN ecosystems.
• AI-driven development mindset – actively uses AI tools to accelerate development and has a strong interest in leveraging AI for energy optimization.
• Experience in designing and implementing complex, high-availability systems, preferably in IoT, smart grids, or energy flexibility markets.
• Ability to hire, onboard, and manage top engineering talent, scaling the team as the company grows.
• Working knowledge of the latest technologies, frameworks, and testing practices is comfortable selecting the best technology stack to achieve our objectives.

Nice-to-Have:

• Experience in the energy sector, specifically DERs, smart grids, virtual power plants, or demand response programs.
• Hands-on experience with IoT platforms such as Home Assistant, Matter, or proprietary OEM APIs.
• Previous experience as a CTO in a high-growth startup.
• Experience building two-sided marketplaces with strong network effects.
• Knowledge of machine learning and optimization techniques applied to energy flexibility and demand response.
• Background in cybersecurity, privacy, and decentralized identity frameworks.

We Offer:

• A CTO position in a pioneering Energy DePIN project.
• A competitive equity and token package, aligned with experience and contributions.
• Annual discretionary bonus based on performance and company growth.
• Flexible, remote-first work environment, with the option to co-locate if desired (majority of team in Vienna, Austria).
• 25 days of vacation per year, plus public holidays.
• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape a prosperous and peaceful future - based on energy-independent citizens with open access to a well-contained agentic AI.

Interested to join the team?

Drop us a message at jobs@combinder.io, sharing why you’re interested plus your CV or LinkedIn. We’ll get back to you if you match the profile.

Talk soon!