Interim Chief Product & Technology Officer

Help shape the future of a rapidly scaling hardware and software company.

As part of its continued growth agenda, the business is appointing an Interim Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO) to provide executive leadership across the Product, Technology and Delivery organisation during an important scaling phase.

The Company:

This is a great time to join. The company is growing quickly, entering new international markets, and seeing strong results. They have a solid foundation and now need an experienced leader to establish the operating model for their next stage.

The Role:

Working as part of the Executive Team, the Interim CPTO will strengthen the end-to-end product and technology operating model to deliver on strategic priorities - setting clear goals, enhancing alignment and driving execution rhythm as the organisation grows. The role partners closely with senior Product and Engineering leaders, including the Director of Product and the Director of Engineering, ensuring the product portfolio, technology investments, and delivery approach remain tightly aligned with customer and commercial priorities.

This is a time-bound executive mandate focused on leadership, cohesion and momentum, providing focus and elevation while a parallel process is underway to appoint a permanent CPTO.

Five Critical Requirements:

  • Executive Team Member in Scale-Up: You have been on the executive team (reporting to the CEO) as the company grew rapidly. You led company-wide scale-up projects for at least 2-3 years.
  • Dual Product & Technology Leadership: You have managed both Product and Engineering teams, and built unified product-engineering operating models.
  • Hardware-Software-Firmware Integration: You have designed, integrated, shipped, and supported appliance products from start to finish. You also have experience with NPI, embedded systems, and working with manufacturing partners.
  • Full-Time Interim Experience: You have taken on intensive interim roles, pausing other work to focus for 3-6 months or more fully.
  • Complete Scale-Up Journey: You have stayed with a company through its whole growth journey, ideally for 2-3 years or more, and have experienced several phases of scaling.

This role is for 3-4 days a week over 5-6 months.

Competitive day rate.

The job is based in Oxfordshire, with 1-2 days a week in the office.

The ideal start date is mid-January.

If this sounds like you, or if you know someone who would be a good fit, please reach out to discuss.

About Akaina Talent

At Akaina we specialise in securing and retaining game-changing talent — the 'top quartile' performers who accelerate startup / scaleup growth and define success at critical Seed and Series A stages. Our Solutions: Talent Acquisition | Finding Your Game Changers We help founders recruit exceptional talent that drives breakthrough growth. Our targeted approach goes beyond filling roles—we identify and attract the transformative professionals your business needs to scale effectively. Talent Advisory | Building for Scale Our advisory solution breaks down complex hiring challenges into 5 actionable frameworks. We help you prevent common talent pitfalls and build strong foundations for sustainable team growth as you scale. With 20+ years helping founders compete for and win transformative talent, we combine deep startup expertise with proven hiring methods designed specifically for high-growth environments. Ready to build something exceptional together? Book a consultation today to discuss how we can help you secure the talent that will define your success.

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About the job

Apply before

Jan 28, 2026

Posted on

Dec 29, 2025

Job Type

Contractor

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