Director Software Engineering - AI at Couchbaseinc

Couchbase, the operational data platform for AI, empowers businesses to succeed by bringing data to life in new ways. Major market-leading companies rely on Couchbase for mission critical operational, analytical, mobile and AI workloads. Built to replace legacy infrastructure and fragmented data services, Couchbase empowers enterprises with a unified platform architected for performance, flexibility and global scale. With Couchbase, organizations bring their data to life, launching game‑changing customer experiences, exploring the limitless potential of AI, and seamlessly extending applications from the cloud to the edge and beyond. Couchbase’s AI‑ready technology and enterprise partnership model eliminate complexity and reduce total cost of ownership, enabling teams to stay agile, innovative and secure. Couchbase believes data should never slow you down, but act as the foundation for your next breakthrough. Discover why Couchbase is trusted to help the world’s biggest players scale, move fast and stay resilient, no matter what’s next on their roadmap. Visit couchbase.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. Want to be part of our story? Apply today! About the Role We are seeking an experienced and visionary technology leader to lead the development and scaling of our AI platform capabilities. This role will own the architecture, delivery, and operational excellence of Couchbase AI capabilities. You will lead engineering teams building high-performance, production-grade Data infrastructure for AI that powers enterprise workloads at scale. This is a strategic leadership role at the intersection of distributed systems, cloud-native platforms, and AI. Key Responsibilities • Lead and grow high-performing engineering teams focused on building the Operational Data platform for AI. • Drive architectural decisions for multiple platform capabilities at the intersection of Databases and AI. • Ensure production-grade scalability for large-scale AI workloads. • Partner closely with Product, Field, Support, and Customer Success to deliver differentiated enterprise AI capabilities. • Balance innovation with operational rigour and ensure reliability, performance, and security standards are met. • Build strong cross-functional collaboration with core database, storage, and cloud infrastructure teams. • Mentor engineering managers and senior technical leaders to build a strong leadership team. Required Qualifications • 15+ years of experience in software engineering, with 5+ years leading multiple teams. • Strong background in distributed systems, databases, or large-scale cloud platforms. • Hands-on familiarity with AI infrastructure concepts such as: • Vector search and indexing • Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) • Embedding pipelines • LLM and inference systems • Agent architectures and memory systems • Experience building and operating production SaaS services at scale. • Deep understanding of performance engineering, reliability, and cost optimisation in cloud environments. • Hands-on experience in Go, Python or Java. At Couchbase, we believe innovation thrives when diverse perspectives are at the table. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds—including women, people of color, LGTBQIA+ professionals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. If you see a role that excites you, but don’t meet every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. Studies show underrepresented talent is less likely to apply unless they meet all the criteria. We encourage you to apply if you’re excited about the role and can bring strong contributions to our team. If you require reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process, please let your recruiter know—we’re happy to support you. We value diverse educational and career backgrounds. If your experience aligns with the role’s goals—even if it doesn’t follow a traditional path—we’d love to hear from you. Why Couchbase? Modern customer experiences need a flexible cloud database platform that can power applications spanning from cloud to edge and everything in between. Couchbase’s mission is to simplify how developers and architects develop, deploy and consume modern applications wherever they are. We have reimagined the database with our fast, flexible and affordable cloud database platform Capella, allowing organizations to quickly build applications that deliver premium experiences to their customers– all with best-in-class price performance. More than 30% of the Fortune 100 trust Couchbase to power their modern applications and build innovative new ones. See our recent awards to learn why Couchbase is a great place to work.We are honored to be a part of the Best Places to Work Award for the Bay Area and the UK. Couchbase offers a total rewards approach to benefits that recognizes the value you create here, so that you in turn may best serve yourself and your family. Some benefits include: • Generous Time Off Program - Flexibility to care for you and your family • Wellness Benefits - A variety of world class medical plans to choose from, along with dental, vision, life insurance, and employee assistance programs* • Financial Planning - Retirement program* and Business Travel Insurance • Career Growth - Be valued, Create value approach • Fun Perks - An ergonomic and comfortable in-office / WFH setup. Food & Snacks for in-office employees. • And much more! *Note: some programs are not applicable to all countries. Please discuss with a Couchbase recruiter to learn more. Learn more about Couchbase: News and Press Releases Couchbase Capella Couchbase Blog Investors Disclaimer: Couchbase is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Join an impact initiative group and experience the amazing feeling of Couchbase can-do culture. By using this website and submitting your information, you acknowledge our Candidate Privacy Notice and understand your personal information may be processed in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Notice following guidelines in your country of application.