TENEX is an AI-native, automation-first, built-for-scale Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider. We are a force multiplier for defenders, helping organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture through advanced threat detection, rapid response, and continuous protection. Our team is composed of industry experts with deep experience in cybersecurity, automation, and AI-driven solutions. Backed by leading investors, we are rapidly growing and seeking top talent to join our mission of revolutionizing the MDR landscape.
As a Principal AI Engineer at TENEX, you will be a key technical leader responsible for designing, developing, and optimizing scalable, high-performance AI systems. You will play a crucial role in shaping the architecture of our AI-driven cybersecurity solutions while mentoring engineering teams and driving technical innovation.
Location: This role will require onsite in our Overland Park, KS location.
Culture is one of the most important things at TENEX.AI—explore our culture deck at culture.tenex.ai to witness how we embody it, prioritizing the irreplaceable collaboration and community of in-person work. This role is perfect for those already in Overland Park / Kansas City metro, or eager to relocate and commute here, where family-first visionaries build unbreakable cybersecurity empires. Ditch the crushing taxes and restrictions of high-cost states with our incredibly aggressive relocation packages, crafted to propel you and your loved ones into this thriving hub effortlessly and profitably—imagine lower taxes amplifying your success!
Immerse yourself in a pro-family stronghold with timeless Midwest values of integrity, hard work, and community, plus a balanced lifestyle that empowers you to dominate professionally while cherishing what matters most.
For candidates who embody the rare "10x of 10x" talent, we offer the flexibility of fully remote work. If you are an exceptional, unrivaled force in this role and prefer not to relocate at this time, we encourage you to apply for this remote-first position. Please be aware that the competition for these remote roles is exceptionally fierce, and the standards for selection are significantly higher.
Job ResponsibilitiesDesign & build the AI layer that powers 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—from prompt libraries and fine tuning to red-team testing, latency budgets, and fallback strategies.
Mentor & grow a cohort of AI engineers; run design reviews, uphold code quality, and instill a security-first mindset.
Partner tightly with Product, Detection Engineering, and Customer Success to translate real-world attacker behavior into robust ML and rule-based detections.
Push the frontier—experiment with retrieval-augmented generation, tool-calling agents, and multi-modal models (text + logs + graphs) to keep defenders decisively ahead.
Software Engineering & Architecture Expertise
10+ years of experience in software development, engineering production systems using modern programming languages (Python, Go, Rust, or Java).
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.
Deep understanding of microservices architecture, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and event-driven systems.
Strong fundamentals in API design (REST/gRPC) and distributed systems.
Clear, concise communication skills and a bias for collaborative problem-solving.
Nice-to-have
Prior work in cybersecurity (SIEM, EDR, SOAR, or MDR).
Experience with graph databases or security-focused knowledge graphs.
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure security (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
Background leading teams in high-growth startups or enterprise SaaS.
Soft Skills
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
Excellent communication and leadership abilities.
Ability to mentor and influence engineering teams.
Passion for cybersecurity and automation.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
Relevant certifications (AWS/GCP Professional Engineer, Kubernetes, or security-related credentials) are a plus.
Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI-driven cybersecurity technologies and Google SecOps solutions.
Collaborate with a talented and innovative team focused on continuously improving security operations.
Competitive salary and benefits package.
A culture of growth and development, with opportunities to expand your knowledge in AI, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.
If you're passionate about combining cybersecurity expertise with artificial intelligence and have experience with Google SecOps and Chronicle, we encourage you to apply!
Top Skills
What We Do
TENEX is a cybersecurity company leveraging advanced artificial intelligence and human expertise to transform enterprise security. Backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Shield Capital, TENEX’s flagship offering is a next-generation Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service, transforming how organizations detect and respond to threats. With deep expertise in Google and Microsoft security ecosystems and state-of-the-art AI capabilities, TENEX empowers enterprises to enhance threat detection, agility, and resilience while maximizing the value of their security investments.
