A bit about us:

This role is based remotely in UK or Portugal

Virtuoso's mission is to enable and lead the world's quality-first revolution. The field of QA has not kept pace with the software industry's transition to CI/CD. We are fixing that.

Virtuoso has reimagined how software is tested by developing a game-changing platform that is already being used by the biggest names in software. We passionately believe that anyone should be able to create and maintain tests regardless of their technical skill, and that quality is a key driver for change and growth. The latest advances in AI and Machine Learning have been leveraged to produce test automation software that thinks like a human, empowers everyone to test, and for the first time delivers on the promise of codeless test automation. Achieving remarkable success has become a business-as-usual activity for us and we need to rapidly expand our team for that to continue to increase. Want to join the quality-first revolution? Then read on.

A company without borders with employees that make an impact worldwide, with offices and a remote team spread across the globe. The nature of our product is reflected in our thorough and agile culture. We do the right things fast and our application process is no different. We want exceptional people and we will act to get them.

About the Role:
At Virtuoso, we are redefining the landscape of autonomous software testing. As a Lead Principal Software Engineer with deep understanding of the AI landscape, you will lead the technical charge in defining and building Virtuoso QA’s future Agentic and autonomous testing functionality—a cutting-edge system that blends AI with test automation to deliver intelligent, context-aware autonomous testing.

This role centers around backend engineering and AI system development, with a stack primarily built in Java and Go, operating within a cloud-native SaaS environment. While full-stack experience is a plus, and Vue.js is part of the tech stack, the core requirements focus on backend system design, distributed computing, and AI integration.

You will work in a remote-first, highly collaborative team based across Europe, including Lisbon hub. We’re looking for someone who thrives in both independent R&D and leadership, and who can drive innovation and execution across the Agentic AI roadmap.

Key Tasks:

• Work closely with the research team and the wider company to strategise, identify and prioritise what we should be building.

• Architect and implement backend systems powering Virtuoso QA’s Agentic and autonomous capabilities.

• Lead R&D and productization of AI techniques (LLMs, autonomous agents, vector search, orchestration frameworks).

• Translate research and user needs into scalable, production-grade AI features.

• Build and maintain performant microservices using Java in a SaaS context.

• Guide the team in building resilient, observable, and maintainable systems in the cloud.

• Collaborate with product, design, and AI research stakeholders to shape the product roadmap.

• Mentor and grow a high-performance engineering team with a focus on backend excellence.

• Optionally contribute to or oversee frontend feature integration in Vue.js as needed.

What we would like to see in you:

Skills required (Learned and Applied Abilities):

• Advanced expertise in Java for backend development.

• Strong knowledge of distributed systems, event-driven architectures, and cloud-native development.

• Hands-on experience building systems that leverage LLMs, RAG, vector databases, and agentic AI frameworks.

• Familiarity with Redis, PostgreSQL, and AWS or containerized services.

• Test automation domain experience is a strong plus.

• Exposure to Vue.js or frontend development is a plus, but not required.

Competencies required and to be demonstrated (Traits, Attitudes, Behaviours):

• Strategic Leadership: Proven ability to lead complex technical programs and align engineering with broader business goals.

• AI Systems Thinking: Deep understanding of AI system behavior, from architectural patterns to prompt engineering and agent orchestration.

• Technical Authority: High-impact contributor who sets engineering standards and fosters technical rigor.

• Autonomous R&D: Capable of exploring, validating, and implementing AI solutions with minimal supervision.

• Team Building & Mentoring: Builds strong, motivated teams with a healthy culture of growth, ownership, and collaboration.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effective at working across disciplines to deliver user-focused, technically sound features.

Qualifications and Experience Required:

• 8+ years of experience in backend software engineering, including leading high-performing teams.

• 4+ years of experience technical leading or mentoring engineers.

• Practical experience in AI/ML system development, especially involving LLMs and orchestration frameworks.

• Experience in cloud SaaS environments with microservices architecture.

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field—or equivalent practical experience.

What's in it for You...

• Competitive Package, including generous and achievable uncapped commission
• Employee Share Options- Share in the success of Virtuoso
• A defined, transparent, career path to more senior roles
• Remote/flexible working
• Private health insurance
• Training/personal development budget of a minimum of £500 per year
• Take your birthday as a holiday every year!
• Holiday allowance increases by one day per year of service up to 5 years
• Employee Referral Scheme - we put money in your pocket for referring awesome people!

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