Senior Director of Engineering, Consumer AI

1Password4 days ago

Location

Remote (United States | Canada)

Workplace

Remote

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 263,000 – 394,500

Level

Director

Role

Director

Posted

Jun 29, 2026

Full TimeRemoteDirector

The role

Summary

Senior Director of Engineering, Consumer AI at 1Password is a strategic leadership role responsible for defining and executing the company's Applied AI strategy across customer-facing products. This position combines AI strategy, product thinking, and engineering leadership to identify high-impact customer problems solvable through AI, build organizational and technical capabilities, and ensure trustworthy, secure AI experiences. The ideal candidate brings 12+ years of software engineering expertise, 5+ years leading large engineering organizations, and proven experience delivering AI-powered products in high-growth SaaS environments.

What you'll do

Define Consumer AI Strategy: Partner with Product and Executive Leadership to identify and prioritize the highest-value AI opportunities across the consumer business, establishing a clear roadmap that balances innovation with 1Password's core values of security, privacy, and trust.

Build AI Organizational Capabilities: Establish cross-functional teams, operating models, and technical foundations required to build and scale AI-powered experiences. Design organizational structures that support rapid experimentation while maintaining operational rigor and alignment with security standards.

Deliver Trustworthy AI Products: Ensure all AI-powered experiences meet 1Password's rigorous standards for security, reliability, privacy preservation, explainability, and alignment with customer expectations. Implement evaluation frameworks and governance processes for AI feature releases.

Recruit and Develop Engineering Leaders: Identify, recruit, coach, and develop senior engineering leaders capable of navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Build a talent pipeline that reflects both technical depth in AI systems and strong organizational leadership capabilities.

Drive Cross-Functional Alignment: Lead strategic partnerships across Security, Privacy, Legal, Compliance, Design, Product, and Go-to-Market teams. Ensure priorities, execution plans, and technical decisions are aligned across organizational boundaries and that trust and privacy principles are embedded in all AI initiatives.

Shape Long-Term AI Strategy: Contribute to defining how AI contributes to 1Password's broader product and business strategy. Identify emerging AI technologies and patterns that could create competitive advantage while maintaining the company's trusted security and privacy positioning.

What we look for

Technical

Modern AI Systems UnderstandingStrong comprehension of contemporary AI architectures, large language models (LLMs), prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), fine-tuning approaches, and practical constraints of production AI systems. Understanding of AI safety, bias mitigation, and responsible AI principles.

Systems Thinking and Technical ArchitectureDemonstrated systems-thinking mindset with ability to evaluate complex technical tradeoffs across AI infrastructure, data pipelines, model deployment, monitoring, and integration with existing product ecosystems. Experience designing for reliability, latency, and scalability.

Experimentation and Operational RigorProven ability to balance rapid experimentation with structured processes. Experience establishing evaluation frameworks, metrics, and governance that enable innovation while maintaining security, privacy, and quality standards in regulated or security-sensitive environments.

Senior Technical LeadershipAbility to guide, mentor, and influence senior technical leaders across product, platform, and infrastructure domains. Capacity to navigate technical ambiguity, make architectural decisions with incomplete information, and communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldFoundational technical education in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, or equivalent hands-on technical experience. Advanced degrees (Master's, PhD) in computer science, AI/ML, or related fields are a plus.

Experience

12+ Years Software Engineering ExperienceComprehensive background in software engineering with proven ability to evolve from individual contributor roles to strategic leadership positions, demonstrating deep technical judgment and architectural thinking.

5+ Years Leading Large Engineering OrganizationsDemonstrated track record leading significant engineering organizations through multiple growth cycles. Experience managing complex organizational structures, building leadership teams, and scaling engineering processes and culture.

AI-Powered Product LeadershipDirect experience leading the conception, development, and launch of AI-powered products from strategy through execution. Proven ability to translate emerging AI capabilities into durable customer value and competitive differentiation.

High-Growth SaaS Environment ExperienceHands-on experience operating in fast-paced, high-growth SaaS companies. Understanding of how to balance rapid scaling, product velocity, operational excellence, and maintaining quality standards in resource-constrained environments.

Skills

Required skills

AI Strategy and Product DevelopmentAbility to articulate clear AI strategy, identify use cases with the highest customer value, and translate technical AI capabilities into compelling product features. Understanding of AI product development lifecycle and user experience considerations.

Engineering Organization LeadershipProven excellence in building, scaling, and maintaining high-performing engineering teams. Strong talent judgment, mentorship ability, and track record of developing direct reports into senior leadership roles.

Cross-Functional Influence and Executive CommunicationAbility to operate effectively at executive level, communicating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. Strong skills in building consensus across Security, Privacy, Product, and Design teams on complex, ambiguous problems.

Security and Privacy MindsetDeep appreciation for operating in security-sensitive environments. Strong instincts regarding privacy implications of AI systems, data handling best practices, and ability to balance innovation with responsibility to protect customer trust.

Organizational Design and Process DevelopmentExperience designing team structures, reporting relationships, and operating models that support rapid scaling. Ability to build feedback loops, decision-making frameworks, and governance processes that evolve with organizational needs.

Strategic Thinking and Ambiguity NavigationAbility to operate effectively in ambiguous environments with incomplete information. Strong prioritization judgment, comfort with course-correction, and resilience through rapid iteration and market change.

Nice to have

Consumer Product ExperienceBackground building products for consumer audiences. Understanding of consumer user experience expectations, retention dynamics, and how to build features that drive adoption and viral growth.

Identity and Access Management ExpertiseTechnical background or strategic familiarity with identity verification, authentication systems, access control, or Unified Access Management. Understanding of IAM challenges and security implications.

Security-First Product DevelopmentExperience building products in security-sensitive domains (cybersecurity, fintech, healthcare, etc.). Understanding of how to embed security considerations into product development without sacrificing user experience or innovation velocity.

Venture-Backed Company ExperienceBackground in high-growth venture-backed companies that have achieved significant scale (100M+ ARR or equivalent user bases). Exposure to fundraising dynamics, investor relations, and how to scale strategy during periods of rapid growth.

AI/ML Infrastructure KnowledgeUnderstanding of AI infrastructure layers, model serving, monitoring, and operational considerations. Familiarity with vector databases, embedding models, and production ML systems that power modern AI applications.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 263,000 – 394,500 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Health and Wellness Coverage

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits covering you and eligible dependents. Includes preventative care, mental health support, and access to wellness programs.

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)

Industry-leading flexible PTO policy to support work-life balance and personal well-being. Company-observed holidays and ability to take time off for personal needs without rigid accumulation limits.

Retirement Benefits

401(k) matching program (USA) or RRSP matching program (Canada) to support long-term financial planning and retirement security.

Equity Compensation

Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) grants for most employees, providing ownership in 1Password's long-term success. Immediate participation upon hire with regular vesting schedules.

Family Support Programs

Maternity and parental leave top-up programs providing financial support during family leave periods, supporting work-life integration for growing families.

Free 1Password Account

Complimentary access to 1Password's full product suite for you and eligible family members, enabling personal and professional security.

Paid Volunteer Days

Dedicated paid time to volunteer with causes and organizations you care about, supporting community engagement and social responsibility.

Peer Recognition Programs

Bonusly peer-to-peer recognition platform enabling team members to acknowledge and reward each other's contributions and achievements.

Remote-First Work Environment

Work from anywhere within Canada or the USA with flexible arrangements. Company provides support for establishing productive home offices and maintains remote-first culture and communication practices.

Professional Development

Investment in ongoing learning and skill development. Access to conferences, training programs, and resources to stay current with industry trends and AI/ML advancements.

Interview process

1
Initial Talent Screening — Initial review of your application and background by 1Password's Talent Acquisition team. This may include automated resume screening and assessment of your experience against core requirements. You may opt out of AI-assisted screening if preferred.
2
Conversation with Talent Partner — An introductory conversation (30-45 minutes) with your dedicated talent acquisition partner to discuss your background, interest in the role, compensation expectations, and answer initial questions about 1Password, culture, and remote work arrangements.
3
Technical Leadership Discussion — Detailed conversation with current or former engineering leaders at 1Password (60 minutes) covering your experience leading large engineering organizations, AI strategy thinking, approach to organizational design, and specific examples of AI product launches or technical decisions.
4
Product and Strategy Discussion — Conversation with Product and Executive Leadership (60 minutes) exploring your product thinking, ability to translate technical capabilities into customer value, experience with cross-functional alignment, and vision for AI in consumer products.
5
Security, Privacy and Trust Discussion — Meeting with members of 1Password's Security and Privacy teams (45-60 minutes) to assess your understanding of security-sensitive product development, approach to privacy-preserving AI, and judgment about when to prioritize caution versus innovation.
6
Executive Leadership Interview — Final-round conversation with senior executive leadership (60 minutes) covering strategic vision, organizational philosophy, communication style, cultural fit, and questions about 1Password's mission, values, and long-term direction.