Tech Lead, Applied Research - Emerging Tech

Twilio

9d•$227,840 - $335,000•Remote

About The Position

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. Welcome to Twilio Forward, the incubation lab where we push boundaries, unlock next-era growth, and turn the once-unimagined into reality. As part of our Emerging Tech team, you will pioneer Horizon-3 initiatives that fundamentally redefine how humanity interacts with artificial intelligence. From launching Ola, the world’s first agent-native communication channel, to engineering the ground-breaking Agent-to-Human (A2H) protocol, we are actively building the control room for the autonomous future. If you are a builder driven to disrupt the status quo, reimagine what’s possible, and engineer what comes next, your journey starts here.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
10+ years of professional full-stack software development experience.
Proficiency across modern programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, Java or Go with the ability to select the right tool for the job.
Experience building applications using front-end (React, Angular) and/or back-end (Node.js, Springboot) frameworks.
Solid understanding of database technologies, including both SQL and NoSQL paradigms and when to select them.
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.
Exceptional ability to navigate intense ambiguity, self-unblock execution, and ruthlessly solve ambiguous problems without requiring constant structural support.
Strong communication and mentorship skills, with a collaborative mindset suited for high-bandwidth technical discussions.

Nice To Haves

Hands on exposure to LLM, AI, or machine learning principles or projects.
Deep knowledge of cloud-based platforms (AWS, Azure) and the design principles of distributed systems.
Ability to ramp up on new technologies, solution against well defined problems and to 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.

Responsibilities

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