C++ IDE Lead

About Us

At SkyLabs AI Inc., we are at the forefront of the artificial intelligence revolution. As a US-headquartered company, we conduct applied research on AI for intelligent reasoning. We specialize in complex neurosymbolic AI to solve intricate problems within software engineering. Our team is composed of world-class researchers and engineers dedicated to building the platforms and intelligent agents that will power the next generation of software. If you are passionate about building truly intelligent systems and want to make a lasting impact, join us.

The Role

We are seeking an exceptional C++ IDE Lead to own the product vision, strategy, and execution of our AI-powered developer tools. This is a "player-coach" role for someone who is both a C++ expert and a user-obsessed product leader. You will be responsible for defining the entire user experience of our IDE plugin, translating the needs of C++ developers into a shippable product roadmap.

You will be the central hub, working with our AI, frontend, and backend teams to decide what we build and why. You must have an intimate familiarity with C++ IDEs, debuggers, and compilers, and a clear vision for how AI agents can revolutionize the software development lifecycle.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Product Ownership & Roadmap: Define and own the product roadmap for the IDE plugin. Prioritize features (C++ tooling, PBT, agentic interactions) and make trade-offs to deliver an MVP and iterate.
• Developer Experience (DevEx): Conduct user research with C++ developers to deeply understand their pain points and workflows.
• AI-First Product Design: Lead the design of the AI-native user experience. Answer critical questions like: How does a user interact with the "Agentic Mode"? How do we visualize the "Formal Blueprint" and present "surgical changes" for review?
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Be the primary stakeholder for the frontend, backend, and AI teams. Translate user needs into technical requirements and API contracts.
• Toolchain Integration Strategy: Define how our plugin will programmatically interface with the C++ toolchain (compilers, debuggers, build systems).
• Cross-Platform Architecture: Guide the architectural design of abstraction layers that allow our plugin to be extensible and portable across different IDEs (VS Code, CLion, etc.).

Qualifications & Skills

Core Profile: C++ IDE Lead

• C++ Expert: Deep, practical, and modern C++ knowledge. Has lived the pain points of C++ development.
• Experience with C++ IDEs: Intimate familiarity with the user experience, workflows, and extension models of major C++ IDEs (e.g., CLion, Visual Studio, VS Code, Emacs/Vim with LSP).
• Good Product Background: A strong sense of product ownership, user empathy, and the ability to translate complex technical needs into a clear, shippable product roadmap.
• Knowledge of Frontend: Understands frontend architecture and constraints, specifically within IDE extension frameworks, to effectively lead the frontend team.
• Have Worked in an AI Company: Experience in an AI-native environment; understands how to build products around AI models and how to leverage agent capabilities.
• Can Take Ownership: Proven ability to define and prioritize a feature list, manage stakeholders, and be accountable for the plugin's success.

Specific Experience Required:

1. Product & UX Leadership

• Developer Tool Product Management: Proven experience owning the roadmap for a developer-facing tool. This involves defining the MVP, prioritizing features, and making trade-offs.
• User-Centric Design for Developers: A passion for developer experience (DevEx). Experience conducting user research with C++ developers to understand their exact needs.
• AI-First Product Design: Experience designing UIs that integrate AI agents, including how users interact with agents, visualize formal blueprints, and review surgical code changes.
• Telemetry-Driven Iteration: Experience defining and using product telemetry to make data-driven decisions about which features to build or improve.

2. Deep C++ Toolchain Integration

• Language Server Protocol (LSP): Deep, practical experience using and ideally extending the Language Server Protocol for C++ features (e.g., "search for symbols," refactoring).
• Programmatic Compiler & Debugger Tooling: This is essential. Must have experience interfacing with C++ tools programmatically:

• Debuggers: GDB/MI, LLDB's API, or the Visual Studio Debugger API.
• Compilers/Static Analysis: Using Clang/LLVM libraries (e.g., LibTooling, LibFormat) for AST-level code analysis and surgical modifications.
• Build Systems: Programmatically parsing and interacting with CMake, Make, or Bazel.
• Profiling & Performance: Knowledge of how profilers (like perf, Valgrind) work and how their data could be visualized in an IDE.

3. Cross-Platform Plugin Architecture

• IDE Extension APIs: Hands-on experience building extensions for at least one major IDE (e.g., VS Code, JetBrains CLion).
• Architectural Abstraction: Experience designing the "abstraction layers" that separate the core plugin logic from the platform-specific UI shell (e.g., TypeScript for VS Code, Kotlin/Java for CLion).
• API & Extensibility Design: Defining the APIs for MCP and ACP support, ensuring the plugin is extensible by third parties and consumable by other agents.

Who You Are

You are a builder at heart, driven by curiosity and a desire to solve hard problems. You don't wait for instructions; you identify opportunities and seize them. You are comfortable with ambiguity and thrive in a fast-paced, in-depth environment where you are encouraged to experiment and push boundaries. You are a clear communicator who can articulate complex technical concepts and work collaboratively to achieve ambitious goals.

Benefits

What We Offer

• Competitive salary in USD
• Comprehensive health allowance
• Relocation allowance (if you're moving to Islamabad)
• Monthly team events and offsites
• A beautiful, collaborative office space
• Work alongside world-class AI researchers and engineers