Staff AI Engineer- Developer Tools

JetBrains; Netherlands; Hybrid; EUR 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Flexible location

Remote work abroad up to 30 days/year

Meal/Lunch allowance

Learning opportunities

Relocation support

Language classes

Mental health support

Gym stipend

Internal events

Job summary

JetBrains is seeking a senior technical leader to shape an AI-native development experience for C++ developers. You will prototype, implement, and validate AI-powered workflows, influencing CLion's future with hands-on engineering and cross-functional collaboration.

This role blends developer tools, AI agents, IDE architecture, and product strategy in a fast-evolving space. You’ll work at the intersection of AI, tooling, and software development, driving the roadmap and delivering tangible

Qualifications

• Significant software engineering experience at a senior level.
• Strong experience with Kotlin, Java, or JVM technologies, or the ability to become productive quickly in a JVM codebase.
• Experience building AI-powered products and developer tools or coding assistants.
• Solid understanding of AI-powered developer workflows, tool calling, and evaluation techniques.
• Track record of steering technical direction in evolving areas.
• Strong product instincts and a balance between innovation and delivery.
• Excellent communication and the ability to influence without formal authority.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver AI-powered features for CLion and C++ development workflows.
• Design architecture for AI integrations, agent tools, and C++-specific AI capabilities.
• Build benchmarks and evaluation frameworks for AI-assisted C++ development.
• Prototype and validate new AI workflows, including debugging, code understanding, and navigation.
• Collaborate with product managers, ML/QA teams, and senior developers to shape the roadmap.
• Work with JetBrains AI, ML, and product teams to define the AI strategy for the C++ ecosystem.
• Evaluate and prioritize AI initiatives aligned with JetBrains strategy.
• Contribute hands-on to design, architecture, and implementation in a large codebase.
• Define a technical roadmap for AI agent and tool integrations in C++ workflows.
• Foster trust and alignment across C++ ecosystem, AI, Product, QA, and ML orgs.

Skills

Kotlin

Java

JVM technologies

AI-powered products

Developer tools

Coding agents

LLM-based workflows

Tool calling

Context management

Technical leadership

Job description

Amsterdam, Netherlands; Belgrade, Serbia; Berlin, Germany; Limassol, Cyprus; London, United Kingdom; Madrid, Spain; Munich, Germany; Paphos, Cyprus; Prague, Czech Republic; Remote, Germany; Warsaw, Poland; Yerevan, Armenia

AI is fundamentally changing how developers write, understand, debug, and maintain software.

At JetBrains, we're exploring what an AI-native development experience should look like for C++ developers. We are looking for a senior technical leader to help shape this future by building AI-powered workflows, integrating coding agents into developer tools, and defining how CLion can become a first-class environment for AI-assisted software development.

This is a highly hands-on role focused on technical leadership rather than people management. You should expect to spend most of your time prototyping, implementing, and validating AI-powered workflows while helping shape technical direction through hands-on engineering. You'll work at the intersection of developer tools, AI agents, IDE architecture, and product strategy while helping define how software developers work with AI in the future.

Example problems you'll work on:

• How can coding agents become more effective when working with large C++ codebases?
• How can CLion's debugging, code understanding, and navigation capabilities be integrated into AI-assisted development workflows?
• How should AI-powered developer experiences be evaluated and benchmarked in real-world development scenarios?
• What capabilities should AI agents have access to inside a modern IDE?
• How can we make CLion a better environment for developers who increasingly collaborate with AI tools and agents?

In this role, you will:

• Shape and deliver AI-powered features for CLion and C++ development workflows.
• Design the architecture for AI integrations, agent tools, and C++-specific AI capabilities.
• Build practical benchmarks and evaluation frameworks for AI-assisted C++ development scenarios.
• Prototype and validate new AI workflows, including debugging, code understanding, refactoring, and project navigation.
• Collaborate with product managers, ML engineers, QA engineers, stakeholders, and senior developers to shape and deliver the roadmap.
• Work closely with JetBrains AI, ML, and product teams to help define the AI strategy for the C++ ecosystem.
• Evaluate and prioritize AI initiatives, bringing new ideas and proposals that align with the broader JetBrains AI strategy.
• Contribute hands-on to technical design, software architecture, and implementation in a large, mature codebase.
• Help define a technical roadmap for AI agent and tool integrations in C++ development workflows.
• Build trust and alignment across the C++ Ecosystem, AI, Product, QA, and ML organizations

We'd love to talk if you have:

• Significant software engineering experience as a Staff Engineer, Principal Engineer, Technical Lead, or similar senior technical role.
• Strong experience with Kotlin, Java, or other JVM technologies, or the ability to quickly become productive in a JVM-based codebase.
• Experience building AI-powered products, developer tools, coding assistants, agents, or LLM-based workflows.
• Strong understanding of how modern coding agents operate, including tool calling, context management, MCP, and evaluation techniques.
• A track record of driving technical direction in ambiguous and rapidly evolving areas.
• Strong product instincts and an ability to balance innovation with practical delivery.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence without formal authority.

Nice to have

• Experience with C++ development workflows, compilers, debuggers, language tooling, or developer productivity products.
• Experience with IDE internals, language servers, code analysis, refactoring systems, or static analysis.
• Experience leading small teams or acting as a technical lead.
• Experience working on AI-native developer products.

Why this role is unique

Rather than building generic chat experiences, you'll be working on challenges such as AI-assisted debugging, agent-powered code understanding, developer workflow automation, and evaluation systems for AI-powered development tools. Your work will directly influence products used by millions of developers worldwide and help shape JetBrains' broader vision for AI-powered software development.

• Strong base salary. We offer competitive pay that reflects your skills and experience.
• Flexible work location. Enjoy the freedom to work from home or from the office.
• Remote work. Spend up to 30 days per year working remotely from abroad.
• Extra time off. More days to relax, recharge, and do the things you love.
• Medical insurance allowance. Enjoy peace of mind for you and your family
• Learning and development opportunities. Access to conferences, courses, and language classes.
• Relocation support. We help make your move as smooth and stress-free as possible. (keep if relevant for the role)
• Language classes. Pick up the local language or sharpen your English skills.
• Fuel your day. Enjoy a hot meal or receive a lunch allowance on workdays.
• Mental health support. To help you feel your best, we provide easy access to professional mental health services.
• Sports benefit. Enjoy an on-site gym or sports club stipend.
• Internal events. Join company-wide celebrations and team gatherings.

*Some benefits may vary depending on location.

We are an equal opportunity employer We know great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. That’s why we do our best to create an open and inclusive workplace – one that welcomes everyone regardless of their background, identity, religion, age, accessibility needs, or orientation.

A lot of teams at JetBrains are distributed across our core locations. If you are not based in one of the locations above, we’d be happy to talk through relocation possibilities with you.