COO / CTO Co-founder (Accounting AI & Process Automation)

Location: Remote / EU
Stage: Pre-seed, PMF exploration
Product: AI-powered Accounting Automation Platform

About the role

We are looking for a COO / CTO Co-founder to co-build an AI-driven startup focused on automating accounting and financial operations for modern businesses.

This is a hands-on founder role, not a corporate executive position. You will be responsible for shaping both the technological and operational foundations of the company — from defining the product architecture and automation logic, through building scalable delivery processes, to co-managing the company together with the founding team.

In the early stage, you will work directly on turning complex accounting workflows into reliable, repeatable and AI-supported solutions. Your mission will be to build a product and operating model that can scale: combining AI, automation, process design, product thinking and strong execution in a high-uncertainty, pre-PMF environment.

Your responsibilities

As COO / CTO Co-founder, you will be responsible for:

• Co-managing the company together with the founding team and aligning technology, operations and business goals,

• Shaping and iterating the product vision for an AI-powered accounting automation platform,

• Translating accounting and financial workflows into scalable, automated and AI-supported solutions,

• Defining the product architecture, automation logic, integrations and data flows,

• Leading the development of automation pipelines and technical foundations of the platform,

• Designing operational processes from scratch, including customer onboarding, delivery, support and continuous improvement,

• Establishing execution frameworks, project management standards and internal operating rhythms,

• Ensuring high standards of reliability, security, scalability and compliance awareness,

• Monitoring AI, automation, fintech and accounting-tech trends and applying them to product and operational strategy,

• Optimising efficiency, time-to-value and customer satisfaction,

• Building and leading a small, high-impact technology and operations team,

• Creating a company culture based on ownership, accountability, speed and excellence,

• Supporting investor communication, pitch preparation and technical/product due diligence,

• Overseeing technology- and operations-related planning, including budgeting, forecasting and resource allocation.

Who we are looking for (Must-have)

• At least 5+ years of leadership experience in startups, scale-ups or technology-driven companies,

• At least 3+ years in roles such as CTO, COO, VP Engineering, Head of Product, Head of Operations or equivalent,

• Proven experience in building products, platforms, automation systems or operational processes from scratch,

• Hands-on experience with automation, AI, process improvement or workflow optimisation projects,

• Strong understanding of product development, technical architecture and scalable systems,

• Solid knowledge of project management, process design and execution frameworks,

• Entrepreneurial mindset - you understand that in an early-stage startup, ownership, speed and pragmatic execution matter more than perfect structures,

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills,

• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous and pre-PMF environment,

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate business needs into technical and operational solutions,

• Fluent Polish and English, both spoken and written.

Nice to have

• Experience in accounting, fintech, ERP, financial operations or back-office automation,

• Experience with B2B SaaS products or platforms,

• Experience integrating AI into production systems,

• Background in workflow automation, document processing, data extraction or financial process automation,

• Experience scaling technical or operations teams,

• Previous fundraising experience or collaboration with investors,

• Ability to explain complex technical and operational topics to non-technical stakeholders.

What we offer

• COO / CTO Co-founder role with real influence over company direction, product strategy and operational model,

• Opportunity to build an AI-driven startup from scratch at the pre-seed stage,

• High autonomy across technology, operations and company-building,

• Remuneration: at least PLN 17 000 net B2B + VAT,

• Equity package in the co-created startup,

• Support from an experienced startup studio and capital group,

• Access to startup-building know-how, industry experts and international advisors,

• Fast decision-making, short feedback loops and a high-impact environment.

Red Sky is conducting this recruitment process. The cooperation concerns a newly established start-up.

Recruitment process

1. Interview with HR ~45 min.

2. Tech Interview ~ 60-70 min.

3. Interview with the Investor ~ 50 min.

4. Interview with the Founder (technology & product vision) ~ 60 min.

5. Agreement on cooperation terms (remuneration + equity)