Tech Lead, Applied Research – Emerging Tech

Tech Lead, Applied Research - Emerging Tech

About the job

This position is needed to contribute hands‑on technical expertise, collaborate on rapid prototyping, and develop innovative solutions as part of Twilio’s incubation team.

As a Tech Lead, you’ll work closely with cross‑functional partners to design and build new product ideas, leveraging modern technologies and your problem‑solving abilities. This is a high‑impact opportunity for growth and learning, helping Twilio experiment and stay ahead in the evolving tech landscape.

You will be accountable for enabling rapid experimentation in partnership with the ETI tech lead.

Responsibilities

• Architect & Deliver: Design, develop, and own the end‑to‑end implementation of high‑stakes prototypes and robust, production‑ready solutions.
• Spearhead AI R&D: Drive the technical direction and collaborate with cross‑functional teams to experiment with, validate, and integrate AI, machine learning, and frontier technologies.
• Champion Engineering Excellence: Establish governance for code reviews and pioneer continuous improvements to engineering standards, mentoring peers to elevate overall code quality.
• Influence & Evangelize: Articulate complex technical concepts, architectural decisions, and project velocity clearly to executive stakeholders and engineering peers alike.
• Drive Agility: Navigate ambiguity and rapidly pivot technical strategies in response to shifting requirements, user feedback, and fast‑paced market dynamics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of professional full‑stack software development experience.
• Experience building applications using front‑end (React, Angular) and/or back‑end (Node.js, Springboot) frameworks.
• Data Architecture: Solid understanding of database technologies, including both SQL and NoSQL paradigms and when to select them.
• Next‑Gen Workflow: Mastery of an agentic coding operating model; highly effective at leveraging advanced dev tools, Model Context Protocol (MCP), and LLMs to drastically accelerate AI‑assisted development.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and a collaborative mindset with effective communication skills for technical discussions.
• Extreme Autonomy: Exceptional ability to navigate intense ambiguity, self‑unblock execution, and ruthlessly solve ambiguous problems without requiring constant structural support.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Strong communication and mentorship skills, with a collaborative mindset suited for high‑bandwidth technical discussions.
• Hands‑on exposure to LLM, AI, or machine learning principles or projects.
• Cloud Architecture: Deep knowledge of cloud‑based platforms (AWS, Azure) and the design principles of distributed systems.
• Ability to ramp up on new technologies, solve well‑defined problems, and be iterative about building.
• Passion for innovation and exploring emerging technologies.
• Experience working in remote or globally distributed teams.
• Contributions to open source or tech community projects.

Location

This role will be remote and based in the United States.

Travel

Approximately 5% travel is anticipated to help you connect in‑person in a meaningful way.

What We Offer

Working at Twilio offers many benefits, including competitive pay, generous time off, ample parental and wellness leave, healthcare, a retirement savings program, and more.

Compensation

Please note the salary range information provided applies only to candidates residing in certain locations. The estimated pay ranges for this role are as follows:

• Based in Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont or Washington D.C.: $227,840.00 – $284,800.00
• Based in New York, New Jersey, Washington State, or California (outside of the San Francisco Bay area): $241,200.00 – $301,500.00
• Based in the San Francisco Bay area, California: $268,000.00 – $335,000.00

This role may be eligible to participate in Twilio’s equity plan and corporate bonus plan. All roles are generally eligible for the following benefits: health care insurance, 401(k) retirement account, paid sick time, paid personal time off, paid parental leave.

Application Deadline

Applications for this role will be accepted until July 30, 2026.

Twilio is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Twilio participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.