Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
AI-First Learning Technology & Product Innovation
Location: Minnetonka, MN
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
About Excel Education Systems
Excel Education Systems is a nationally accredited education technology company developing next-generation learning technologies for K–12, adult education, higher education, and workforce development.
Our proprietary technology ecosystem includes:
- Learn Stage® Learning Management System (LMS)
- Learn Stage® Student Information System (SIS)
- BRYTE™ AI Learning Assistant
- ExcelHQ® Enterprise Management Platform
Our platforms are already built and actively used by students, educators, and administrators.
Our next chapter focuses on creating the future of AI-powered learning—not on building software from scratch.
Position Summary
Excel Education Systems is seeking a visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the next generation of educational technology.
This is not a traditional CTO role centered on managing large software engineering teams.
Instead, the CTO will lead an AI-first product development organization in which modern AI tools handle much of the implementation, while experienced professionals provide the product vision, architecture, validation, and quality oversight.
The CTO will work directly with the CEO and our Education Technology Department to continually improve Learn Stage®, ExcelHQ®, and BRYTE™ through better user experiences, intelligent automation, and next-generation AI capabilities.
Our Development Philosophy
Excel Education Systems believes AI is fundamentally changing how software is built.
We expect AI-assisted development to generate the majority of software implementation.
Our people create the vision.
AI builds.
Our experts review, improve, validate, secure, and continuously refine the product.
The CTO will champion this philosophy throughout the organization.
Primary Responsibilities
Technology Strategy
Develop and execute the long-term technology roadmap for:
- Learn Stage LMS
- Learn Stage SIS
- BRYTE AI
- ExcelHQ
Identify emerging technologies that improve learning outcomes and operational efficiency.
AI Leadership
Lead our AI strategy.
Evaluate and implement:
- Generative AI
- Intelligent tutoring
- AI grading
- AI agents
- Personalized learning
- Voice AI
- Learning analytics
- Workflow automation
Continuously identify opportunities where AI enhances the student and educator experience.
Product Innovation
Work closely with our Education Technology Department to:
- Improve usability
- Simplify workflows
- Increase student engagement
- Enhance teacher productivity
- Modernize the learning experience
The focus is continuous innovation rather than rebuilding existing systems.
Software Architecture
Maintain a modern, scalable, secure architecture.
Responsibilities include:
- Technical direction
- Architecture reviews
- Security
- Scalability
- Performance
- Technical standards
The CTO is responsible for ensuring AI-generated code aligns with enterprise architecture and long-term maintainability.
AI-First Development
Lead the organization’s AI-assisted software development strategy.
Establish standards for:
- AI prompting
- Code review
- Validation
- Automated testing
- Documentation
- Security review
- Continuous improvement
The CTO should maximize engineering productivity through responsible use of AI rather than expanding developer headcount.
Technical Leadership
Provide leadership and mentoring for our existing technical professionals.
Partner with:
- Senior Full-Stack Engineers
- UI/UX Designer
- QA Automation Engineer
- Education Technology Team
The CTO’s role is to enable these professionals to produce exceptional products—not to manage a large engineering department.
Security & Compliance
Oversee:
- SOC 2
- Data privacy
- Identity management
- Disaster recovery
- Cybersecurity in connection with our CS vendor
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
- 10+ years of software engineering and technology leadership experience
- Experience leading SaaS product strategy
- Experience with enterprise cloud platforms
- Strong knowledge of AI-assisted software development
- Excellent architectural judgment
- Outstanding communication skills
Preferred Experience
Experience with:
- Learning Management Systems
- Student Information Systems
- Educational Technology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cloud Architecture
- React
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- PostgreSQL
- Modern AI development tools
- Enterprise SaaS
What Success Looks Like
Within the first 24 months, the CTO will:
- Continue evolving Learn Stage into a next-generation AI-powered learning platform.
- Expand BRYTE AI capabilities across all products.
- Improve the overall user experience for students, educators, and administrators.
- Establish Excel Education Systems as an AI-first software organization.
- Increase development velocity through effective use of AI-assisted development.
- Maintain enterprise-grade security, reliability, and scalability.
- Reduce technical debt while preserving architectural integrity.
- Ensure every feature aligns with our mission of transforming education through technology.
Compensation & Benefits
Excel Education Systems offers a competitive executive compensation package designed to attract exceptional technology leaders who are passionate about innovation and results.
Compensation
Base Salary: $180,000+ annually
Performance Bonus: based on individual performance, achievement of strategic technology objectives, and the overall financial performance of Excel Education Systems.
Our compensation philosophy rewards exceptional performance and aligns executive incentives with the long-term success of the company.
Benefits
Eligible employees receive a comprehensive benefits package, including:
Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Company-sponsored retirement plan with employer matching contributions
Paid vacation and company holidays
Paid PTO
Paid professional development, including conferences, certifications, and continuing education
Company-provided technology and equipment
Flexible remote work environment – three days in the office per week.
Our Philosophy
We believe the future of software development is not measured by how many engineers write code manually.
It is measured by how effectively talented professionals leverage artificial intelligence to design, validate, improve, and deliver exceptional software.
The CTO will lead that transformation.
Employment Conditions
The selected candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Employment with Excel Education Systems is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment screening process, which includes:
Background investigation
Employment verification
Education and credential verification
Professional reference checks
Pre-employment drug screening, where permitted by applicable law
Additional screenings may be required based on the responsibilities of the position.
Excel Education Systems, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and professional workplace where diversity of thought, experience, and background strengthens our mission of transforming education through innovation.
Excel Education Systems seeks exceptional professionals who are passionate about transforming education through innovation, artificial intelligence, and technology. If you are excited about leading the future of AI-powered learning and helping shape the next generation of educational technology, we encourage you to apply.
