Engineering Contracts and CTO Retainers
Senior FinTech and AI engineering and leadership start at $200 USD/hour. Choose a defined delivery scope or ongoing technical leadership.
Hands-on engineering contracts
For teams with a CTO or engineering lead who need senior delivery capacity for payments, production AI or evaluation engineering. We agree the workstream, capacity and acceptance criteria before starting.
A defined assessment or delivery milestone
A written scope and fixed fee covering the deliverables, dependencies and acceptance process. Useful when you need an independent technical assessment or a bounded piece of implementation.
Embedded senior engineering
From $200 USD/hour with agreed capacity. Architecture, implementation, testing and handover are included in the work plan. Cloud usage, model usage and third-party licenses are budgeted separately.
Fractional and embedded CTO retainers
Starting prices cover an agreed remit and monthly capacity. They do not include unlimited access or full-time coverage. All delivery time, including meetings and preparation, is scoped at a minimum of $200 USD/hour.
Strategic Partner
Advisory
For FinTech and AI founders with an engineering team who need senior input on technical decisions.
- 2 strategy calls per month
- Async access via Slack or email
- Architecture and technology review
- Build vs. buy analysis for key decisions
- Vendor and third-party evaluation
- Monthly status report
Technical Leadership
Fractional CTO
For FinTech and AI companies that need ownership of the engineering roadmap, architecture and hiring.
- Everything in Advisory, plus:
- Weekly 1:1s with engineering leads
- Technology roadmap ownership
- PCI DSS / SOC 2 compliance roadmap
- Hiring support (JDs, final interviews)
- Team coaching and code review
- Quarterly board-ready tech updates
Full Partnership
Embedded CTO
For companies undergoing compliance audits, fundraising, or critical infrastructure work.
- Everything in Fractional CTO, plus:
- Hands-on architecture design
- CI/CD and security process implementation
- Full compliance program management
- Incident response planning
- Due diligence prep for fundraising/M&A
- Direct board meeting participation
All retainers include a 30-day trial period. Monthly billing with quarterly commitment. Custom enterprise engagements available.
Assessments and Interim Leadership
Fixed-fee assessments and separately scoped interim coverage, with deliverables and capacity agreed in advance.
PCI DSS / SOC 2 Readiness Assessment
Gap analysis, remediation roadmap, and audit preparation for payment and data security compliance.
Architecture & Infrastructure Review
Deep-dive assessment of your payment systems, cloud infrastructure, and technology stack with actionable recommendations.
Technical Due Diligence
Pre-investment or M&A technical assessment for VC/PE firms. Code quality, architecture, security, scalability, and team evaluation.
Interim CTO Engagement
Technical leadership through a CTO transition or critical delivery. Time commitment, decision authority and handover are agreed in the proposal. Full-time coverage is priced for full-time capacity.
Who This Is For
- Series A-C FinTech startups with 5-50 engineers who need a senior technical partner
- AI product teams with a funded production release and a defined engineering gap
- Payment companies preparing for PCI DSS or SOC 2 audits
- VC/PE firms evaluating FinTech investments
- Banks and financial institutions modernizing legacy infrastructure
- Companies between CTOs who need experienced interim leadership
Not sure which tier fits?
Start with an assessment when the scope is unclear, or a delivery contract when the work is already defined. Leadership retainers have an agreed remit and capacity.
Every engagement begins with a free 30-minute discovery call to understand your challenges and recommend the right fit.
Schedule a CallCommon Questions
How quickly can we start?
Typically within 1-2 weeks of the discovery call. For urgent needs (compliance deadlines, interim CTO gaps), we can often start within days.
What does the 30-day trial period mean?
You can cancel within the first 30 days with no further commitment. After that, retainers run on a quarterly basis with 30-day termination notice.
Do you work with early-stage startups?
Yes. Pre-seed and seed companies typically start with the Advisory tier or a fixed-fee architecture assessment. The goal is right-sized support for your stage.
Can a sprint convert into a retainer?
Yes. The assessment can lead to a separately scoped engineering contract or leadership retainer. You keep its findings whether or not you continue with AZdev.
How do you handle billing?
Monthly invoicing via ACH or wire transfer. All pricing is in USD. We are a Canadian corporation (Ontario CCPC) with experience working across US, UK, and EU time zones.
What if our needs don't fit these packages?
These are starting points. Enterprise engagements, multi-team leadership, and custom scoping are all on the table. Book a call and we will design something that fits.
Ready to Talk?
30-minute discovery call. No pitch deck, no pressure. Just a conversation about your technical challenges.