TENEX.AI · 1 day ago
Director of AI/ML
San Jose, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
8+ years expTENEX is an AI-native, automation-first Managed Detection and Response provider, seeking a Director of AI/ML Software Engineering. In this role, you will set the technical vision and manage engineering teams to drive the execution of scalable AI-driven cybersecurity solutions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cyber SecurityNetwork SecuritySaaS
Responsibilities
Set Technical Strategy & Vision: Oversee the design and architecture of scalable, reliable, and secure systems that power our autonomous detection, RAG-backed investigation, and auto-remediation workflows
Design & Build the AI Layer: Power autonomous detection, RAG-backed investigation, and auto-remediation workflows
Develop and Productionize: large-scale LLMs, graph-based reasoning engines, and streaming feature pipelines that operate on billions of security events
Own Evaluation & Reliability: AI systems—from prompt libraries and fine tuning to red-team testing, latency budgets, and fallback strategies
Lead & Mentor Engineering Teams: Manage multiple team leads and a diverse cohort of engineers. Drive a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement. Mentor & grow a cohort of AI engineers; run design reviews, uphold code quality, and instill a security-first mindset
Drive Execution & Delivery: Execute and drive complex software projects across the full stack, ensuring high-quality, on-time delivery while managing technical debt and balancing immediate needs with long-term architectural health
Own Operational Excellence & Reliability: Establish best practices for system monitoring, performance, accessibility, and security in production environments operating on billions of security events
Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Collaborate with Product Management, Detection Engineering, and Customer Success to define the product roadmap, translate business needs into technical requirements, and ensure technical investments align with customer value. Partner tightly with Product, Detection Engineering, and Customer Success to translate real-world attacker behavior into robust ML and rule-based detections
Foster Innovation: Identify and drive the adoption of new technologies, frameworks, and engineering methodologies. Push the frontier—experiment with retrieval-augmented generation, tool-calling agents, and multi-modal models (text + logs + graphs) to maintain a competitive advantage and keep our defenders decisively ahead
Qualification
Required
8+ years of progressive experience in software development, including 3+ years managing multiple engineering teams or a significant engineering organization
Proven track record of defining and executing technical roadmaps, managing budgets, and scaling engineering organizations in a high-growth environment
Expertise in engineering best practices, agile methodologies, SDLC, and driving organizational process improvements
Deep technical expertise in designing and engineering scalable, distributed, and production-grade systems using modern programming languages (e.g., Python, Go, Rust, Java, or TypeScript)
10+ years of experience in software development, engineering production systems using modern programming languages (Python, Go, Rust, or Java)
Deep understanding of microservices architecture, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and event-driven systems
Strong fundamentals in API design (REST/gRPC), data modeling, and database technologies (SQL/NoSQL)
Experience with large-scale data processing, analytics, and high-volume transaction systems
Deep knowledge of LLM architecture, prompt engineering, and Vector database workflows
Hands-on experience building agents, orchestration frameworks (LangChain/LangGraph, Agno AGI, or custom), and evaluation harnesses
Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to articulate technical strategy to executive leadership and external stakeholders
Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills to solve complex business and technical problems
Proven ability to mentor, inspire, and grow senior technical talent and leadership within the organization
A strong passion for cybersecurity and a commitment to building security-first systems and automation
Clear, concise communication skills and a bias for collaborative problem-solving
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
Preferred
Prior work in cybersecurity (SIEM, EDR, SOAR, or MDR) or a related domain
Experience with graph databases or security-focused knowledge graphs
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure security (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and DevOps practices
Experience leading engineering efforts for both backend services and complex single-page applications (SPAs) or data visualization tools
Background leading teams in high-growth startups or enterprise SaaS
Relevant certifications (e.g., AWS/GCP Professional Engineer, Kubernetes, or security-related credentials) are a plus
Company
TENEX.AI
TENEX.AI is a cybersecurity company that utilizes AI and human expertise to help enterprises protect their digital assets.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$27MKey Investors
Crosspoint Capital PartnersAndreessen Horowitz
2025-09-11Series A· $27M
2025-01-20Seed
Leadership Team
Eric Foster
CEO
Edwin Solis
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
Recent News
Business Observer
2026-01-06
Business Journal
2025-12-09
2025-12-02
Company data provided by crunchbase