Requirements*

* Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.

CowManager was founded on the simple belief that farming could – and should – be easier. This vision inspired Dutch dairy farmer Gerard Griffioen to develop the first ear sensors for cows in 2004, establishing CowManager. The pioneering company, part of the family-owned Agis Innovations, has been at the forefront of innovation ever since.

Through advanced sensor technology and data-driven insights, CowManager helps modern dairy farms optimize herd performance, operational efficiency, and animal welfare. The company’s monitoring system provides real-time insights into fertility, health, nutrition, and location. Whether managing twenty or one hundred twenty-thousand cows, farmers gain full visibility over their herds through proven, effective workflows and data-driven alerts that enable proactive intervention. Today, thousands of farmers across the globe have 24/7 control over their cattle thanks to CowManager’s monitoring service.

Collaborating closely with farmers and partners worldwide, CowManager believes those who adopt its technology become among the best farmers in the world – equipped with a strong network, powerful insights, and the tools to farm differently. CowManager doesn’t work for farmers but with them. Sharing ideas and knowledge is essential for mutual growth, driving innovation, and shaping the future of dairy farming.

CowManager’s rapid growth demands equally ambitious technological foundations, with its IT platform serving as the backbone for efficiency and continued expansion. The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will define and execute a comprehensive technology roadmap spanning hardware devices, data platforms, cloud computing, and web applications, ensuring seamless integration with third-party systems.

The CTO’s primary focus is IoT, a key differentiator and one of CowManager’s most distinctive value drivers. In this area – also encompassing hardware and firmware – the scale-up requires the knowledge and experience necessary to drive the company’s growth and technological advancement. Bringing this expertise, the CTO will inspire and engage in meaningful discussions on disruptive innovations and drive product development. The role involves overseeing architecture and engineering teams across hardware, firmware, data, AI, and cloud domains to develop secure, reliable solutions designed to support 24/7 operations. The CTO provides valuable guidance to all teams, actively contributing ideas to help CowManager continuously deliver added client value and further optimize its services.

Sharp eye for scalability
Cross-functional collaboration is essential. Working closely with teams in commerce, supply chain, product development, and innovation, the CTO will drive the migration and integration of proofs of concept – guiding initiatives from ideation to launch – into scalable IT platforms. Additionally, the CTO will collaborate with the in-house innovation lab to bring bold ideas and experimental solutions to life, integrating them into CowManager’s strategy when applicable. Beyond technical leadership, the role demands a sharp eye for scalability to support CowManager’s global ambitions.

The CTO oversees a team of approximately seventy professionals, including hardware developers, software developers, data scientists, and cloud engineers. These experts are organized into domain-specific subteams, each led by a team lead who reports directly to the CTO. With the flexibility to apply their experience in scaling up businesses, the CTO can adapt the company structure to drive further development and growth. At the executive level, the CTO reports directly to the CEO, Guus Oostveen, and forms part of the CowManager board.

This role calls for a visionary leader with a profound understanding of IoT who can translate expertise into tangible growth for CowManager. By bringing fresh perspectives and technical mastery, the CTO will empower the scale-up to make transformative leaps forward. By fostering a culture of continuous platform availability while encouraging leadership, entrepreneurship, and dedication across the organization, the CTO plays a vital part in achieving CowManager’s strategic goals.

The ideal candidate thrives in a collaborative learning culture, combining coaching with clear and constructive feedback. This leadership style – centered on knowledge-sharing and continuous development – will elevate the CTO’s team, strengthen the business-critical IT platform, and accelerate CowManager’s overall success.