AI Technical Lead - C++ Ecosystem

<p> <strong>Headquarters:</strong> 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 </p> <p>AI is fundamentally changing how developers write, understand, debug, and maintain software.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <h3><strong>Example problems you'll work on:</strong></h3> <ul> <li>How can coding agents become more effective when working with large C++ codebases?</li> <li>How can CLion's debugging, code understanding, and navigation capabilities be integrated into AI-assisted development workflows?</li> <li>How should AI-powered developer experiences be evaluated and benchmarked in real-world development scenarios?</li> <li>What capabilities should AI agents have access to inside a modern IDE?</li> <li>How can we make CLion a better environment for developers who increasingly collaborate with AI tools and agents?</li> </ul> <h3><strong>In this role, you will:</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Shape and deliver AI-powered features for CLion and C++ development workflows.</li> <li>Design the architecture for AI integrations, agent tools, and C++-specific AI capabilities.</li> <li>Build practical benchmarks and evaluation frameworks for AI-assisted C++ development scenarios.</li> <li>Prototype and validate new AI workflows, including debugging, code understanding, refactoring, and project navigation.</li> <li>Collaborate with product managers, ML engineers, QA engineers, stakeholders, and senior developers to shape and deliver the roadmap.</li> <li>Work closely with JetBrains AI, ML, and product teams to help define the AI strategy for the C++ ecosystem.</li> <li>Evaluate and prioritize AI initiatives, bringing new ideas and proposals that align with the broader JetBrains AI strategy.</li> <li>Contribute hands-on to technical design, software architecture, and implementation in a large, mature codebase.</li> <li>Help define a technical roadmap for AI agent and tool integrations in C++ development workflows.</li> <li>Build trust and alignment across the C++ Ecosystem, AI, Product, QA, and ML organizations</li> </ul> <h3><strong>We'd love to talk if you have: </strong></h3> <ul> <li>Significant software engineering experience as a Staff Engineer, Principal Engineer, Technical Lead, or similar senior technical role.</li> <li>Strong experience with Kotlin, Java, or other JVM technologies, or the ability to quickly become productive in a JVM-based codebase.</li> <li>Experience building AI-powered products, developer tools, coding assistants, agents, or LLM-based workflows.</li> <li>Strong understanding of how modern coding agents operate, including tool calling, context management, MCP, and evaluation techniques.</li> <li>A track record of driving technical direction in ambiguous and rapidly evolving areas.</li> <li>Strong product instincts and an ability to balance innovation with practical delivery.</li> <li>Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence without formal authority.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Nice to have</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Experience with C++ development workflows, compilers, debuggers, language tooling, or developer productivity products.</li> <li>Experience with IDE internals, language servers, code analysis, refactoring systems, or static analysis.</li> <li>Experience leading small teams or acting as a technical lead.</li> <li>Experience working on AI-native developer products.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Why this role is unique</strong></h3> <p>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.</p> <h3><strong>Why join JetBrains? </strong></h3> <ul> <li>Strong base salary. We offer competitive pay that reflects your skills and experience.</li> <li>Flexible work location. Enjoy the freedom to work from home or from the office.</li> <li>Remote work. Spend up to 30 days per year working remotely from abroad.</li> <li>Extra time off. More days to relax, recharge, and do the things you love.</li> <li>Medical insurance allowance. Enjoy peace of mind for you and your family</li> <li>Learning and development opportunities. Access to conferences, c