AI Technical Lead - Developer Tooling

JetBrains; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work location

Remote work options

Relocation support

Medical insurance allowance

Learning & development opportunities

Job summary

JetBrains in the United States seeks a senior technical leader to shape AI-native development within CLion, focusing on hands-on prototyping and engineering guidance.

You will build AI-powered workflows, integrate coding agents, and define architecture while collaborating with ML, QA, and product teams to shape the roadmap for AI-assisted software development.

This role emphasizes technical leadership over people management and offers flexible work arrangements.

Qualifications

• Significant software engineering experience in senior technical roles.
• Proven track record in technical direction and architecture.
• Experience building AI-powered developer tools or IDE features.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver AI-powered features for CLion and C++ workflows.
• Design architecture for AI integrations and agent tools.
• Prototype, implement, and validate AI workflows in a large codebase.
• Collaborate with product managers, ML engineers, and QA to define roadmaps.

Skills

Staff Engineer

Technical Leadership

AI developer tools

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE or equivalent

Tools

Kotlin

Java

C++

Job description

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.

Why join JetBrains?

• 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 o