Senior AI/ML Engineer

TENEX.AI; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

TENEX.AI is seeking a senior software engineer to architect and deliver AI-native MDR components. You will design autonomous detection layers, develop scalable reasoning engines, and productionize large-scale ML systems supporting billions of security events.

The role requires 7+ years of software engineering experience, expertise in distributed systems, and proficiency with Python/Go/Rust/Java. Onsite Monday-Thursday with WFH Fridays, hybrid locations in the US.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software development and building production systems.
• Deep knowledge of agentic systems design and MAS architectures.
• Strong experience with graph structures and graph databases.
• Hands-on experience with orchestration frameworks and evaluation harnesses.
• Distributed systems expertise: microservices, containers, and event-driven design.
• Solid API fundamentals (REST/gRPC) and distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and delivery of technical components for complex projects, aligning requirements and delivering high-quality code.
• Design and build the AI layer powering autonomous detection, RAG-backed investigation, and auto-remediation workflows.
• Productionize large-scale LLMs, graph-based reasoning engines, and streaming pipelines processing billions of events.
• Own evaluation and reliability, including prompt libraries, fine-tuning, latency budgets, and fallbacks.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives with Product, Detection Engineering, and Customer Success to translate attacker behavior into detections.
• Experiment with retrieval-augmented generation, tool-calling agents, and multi-modal models to stay ahead.
• Provide technical mentorship and contribute to architectural design reviews.

Skills

Python

Go

Rust

Java

Agentic systems design

Graph databases

LangChain/LangGraph

Agno AGI

Docker

Kubernetes

REST

gRPC

Communication

Leadership

Analytical thinking

AWS

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

LangChain/LangGraph

Agno AGI

Job description

Company Overview

TENEX is an AI-native, automation-first, built-for-scale Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider. We are a force multiplier for defenders, helping organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture through advanced threat detection, rapid response, and continuous protection. Our team is composed of industry experts with deep experience in cybersecurity, automation, and AI-driven solutions. Backed by leading investors, we are rapidly growing and seeking top talent to join our mission of revolutionizing the AI-Native MDR landscape.

TENEX is an AI-native, automation-first, built-for-scale Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider. We are a force multiplier for defenders, helping organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture through advanced threat detection, rapid response, and continuous protection. Our team is composed of industry experts with deep experience in cybersecurity, automation, and AI-driven solutions. Backed by leading investors, we are rapidly growing and seeking top talent to join our mission of revolutionizing the AI-Native MDR landscape.

Location: This role will require Monday - Thursday onsite in any of our locations. WFH Friday.

Job Responsibilities

• Project Execution: Lead and own the architecture and delivery of technical components of complex projects. This means communicating effectively to align on requirements, executing on high-quality code, and collaborating with senior engineers and stakeholders throughout the development lifecycle.
• AI Layer Engineering: Design & build the AI layer that powers autonomous detection, RAG-backed investigation, and auto-remediation workflows.
• Productionize Reasoning Engines: Develop and productionize large-scale LLMs, graph-based reasoning engines, and streaming feature pipelines that operate on billions of security events.
• Evaluation & Reliability: Own evaluation & reliability—from prompt libraries and fine-tuning to red-team testing, latency budgets, and fallback strategies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead cross-functional initiatives, partnering with Product, Detection Engineering, and Customer Success to translate real-world attacker behavior into robust ML and rule-based detections.
• Push the Frontier: Experiment with retrieval-augmented generation, tool-calling agents, and multi-modal models (text + logs + graphs) to keep defenders decisively ahead.
• Mentorship: Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers, foster engineering best practices, and contribute to architectural design reviews.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Software Engineering & Architecture Expertise

• Core Engineering: 7+ years of experience in software development, engineering production systems using modern programming languages (Python, Go, Rust, or Java).
• Agentic Systems: Deep knowledge of agentic systems design, such as Centralized and/or Decentralized MAS (Multi-Agent Systems) architectures.
• Graph Architectures: Solid understanding of Graph structures and specifically graph databases.
• Orchestration Frameworks: Hands-on experience building agents, orchestration frameworks (LangChain/LangGraph, Agno AGI, or custom), and evaluation harnesses.
• Distributed Systems: Deep understanding of microservices architecture, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and event-driven systems.
• APIs: Strong fundamentals in API design (REST/gRPC) and distributed systems.

Soft Skills

• Communication: Clear, concise communication skills and a bias for collaborative problem-solving.
• Leadership Alignment: Proven track record of gathering consensus and guiding multi-stakeholder initiatives through uncertain boundaries.
• Analytical Rigor: Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Nice-to-have

• Domain Background: Prior work in cybersecurity (SIEM, EDR, SOAR, or MDR).
• Startup Mentality: Background driving high-impact engineering initiatives in high-growth startups or enterprise SaaS.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Familiarity with cloud infrastructure security (AWS, GCP, or Azure).

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Relevant certifications (AWS/GCP Professional Engineer, Kubernetes, or security-related credentials) are a plus.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI-driven cybersecurity technologies and Google SecOps solutions.
• Collaborate with a talented and innovative team focused on continuously improving security operations.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• A culture of growth and development, with opportunities to expand your knowledge in AI, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.

If you're passionate about combining cybersecurity expertise with artificial intelligence and have experience with advanced multi-agent architectures, we encourage you to apply!