Distinguished Engineer, R&D Lead (AI)

TL;DR

Distinguished Engineer, R&D Lead (AI): Building the control plane for secure AI software development with an accent on AI software governance and agentic systems. Focus on solving ambiguous architectural problems, prototyping agent-consumable security intelligence, and defining the AI Software Governance category.

Location: Remote (Preference for timezone overlap with APAC/Sydney)

Company

A leading agile learning platform helping enterprises secure software through developer-led practices and AI software governance.

What you will do

• Lead time-boxed R&D cycles to solve ambiguous, cross-cutting technical problems like unified risk modeling and AI code detection.
• Explore the "whitespace" of agentic development, defining how AI agents consume security intelligence and how to govern autonomous agents.
• Synthesize market intelligence and academic research into strategic outputs like the Developer Workflow Pulse.
• Operate the "Frontier Pod" model, convening cross-functional teams for six-week discovery cycles to produce prototypes.
• Engage with the external research community and contribute to thought leadership in AI safety and secure code generation.
• Shape the R&D function as a founding lead, including hiring and growing the team.

Requirements

• 10+ years of engineering experience as a Distinguished or Principal-level maker.
• Deep practical knowledge of AI/LLM systems, agent frameworks, and the MCP ecosystem.
• Proven track record of solving "blank page" architectural problems and rapid prototyping.
• Ability to translate complex technical findings into actionable strategic intelligence for leadership.
• Strong autonomy and comfort operating in highly ambiguous, experimental environments.

Nice to have

• Background in developer tooling, observability, or application security tooling.
• Published work or demonstrated thought leadership in AI safety or secure code generation.
• Experience building or contributing to open-source developer tools or security frameworks.

Culture & Benefits

• Full flexibility with no "9-5 grind", allowing work at times and in ways that suit the individual.
• Generous leave and robust work-from-home options.
• Culture based on humility, diversity, and giving back to the community.
• Inclusive environment that celebrates multicultural backgrounds.