Engineering Team Lead, Applied AI (Internal Automation)
WorkFlex · Germany
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $150,000 / year
- Germany
Job highlights
- Lead AI engineers in a remote-first company.
- Focus on internal automation and AI agent workflows.
- Player-coach role, balancing leadership and coding.
- Define ROI for automation impact.
- Work with global mobility and AI tools.
About the role
Engineering Team Lead, Applied AI (Internal Automation)
At WorkFlex, we don’t just "allow" remote work, we enable it for the world. We are building the automated operating system for international travel compliance, tax, and duty of care.
The Lifestyle
We are a remote-only company. You can work from anywhere and take up to 183 days of workations per year. We value your output and your "Architect’s Mind," not the hours you spend in an IDE or a physical office.
The Role: The Automation Practice Lead
You will lead a high-autonomy, distributed squad of 3 Applied AI Engineers. This is a Player-Coach role designed for an experienced engineer who wants to lead a team while keeping their hands in the codebase.
The Internal Consultant Model
Your engineers operate semi-autonomously, embedded in different departments (Compliance, CS, Ops). They don't work on the same daily codebase. Instead, you run this team like a "Guild" - fostering async collaboration, code reviews, and shared AI prompting strategies. While your "clients" are the operational departments, your home is the Engineering organization.
The 50/50 Split
You’ll spend half your time as an individual contributor - building complex, cross-departmental automation workflows and standardizing the deployment pipelines (Docker, CI/CD) for your team. The other half is dedicated to people leadership, stakeholder management, and tracking the impact of your team's work.
The Way We Work: Agentic & Async
We are not a traditional "code-monkey" shop. Agentic Coding: Our workflow is heavily driven by AI agents (Claude Code, Cursor). We expect you to lead your team in using AI as a high-leverage tool to build scalable internal tools at 4x speed. Deep Work, No Bablah: We operate with an async-first culture. We protect your time so you can focus on leadership and the bigger picture.
What You Will Do
- Define the ROI Framework: You won't just build; you will measure. You will establish the metrics framework to quantify how many hours of manual work your team is saving the company each quarter.
- Stakeholder Partnership: You will collaborate directly with Department Heads (Compliance, Customer Success, etc.) to identify the highest-impact automation opportunities and prioritize the pipeline for your team.
- Pave the Road: You will define the technical standards. While your team builds "sidecar" apps, you ensure they are using a unified, secure approach to API integrations, deployment, and data handling.
- Force Multiplication: You will technically mentor your engineers and handle all classical people management topics: 1-on-1s, performance reviews, career growth, and salary negotiations.
What You Need to Succeed
- Traditional Engineering Roots: You have a strong foundational background in Computer Science or Software Engineering. You need deep experience in backend technologies (Python, Node.js/TypeScript, Docker, API design) to audit and guide AI-generated architectures. We need you to be the ultimate "BS-checker" for AI output.
- The Lead Experience: 1-2+ years of experience in people management. You know how to grow engineers and manage performance, particularly in a remote, highly autonomous environment.
- AI-Native Instincts: You don't need to be a foundational model researcher, but you must be a power-user of LLM tools and orchestration frameworks (n8n, agentic workflows with Claude). You know how to use the best tool for the job.
- Consultative Communication: You can sit with a non-technical executive, translate their operational nightmares into a technical roadmap, and confidently report back on the metrics of success.
Why WorkFlex?
- True Global Mobility: Work from anywhere. Truly. 183 days of workations per year is in our DNA.
- High Leverage: Use all the AI tools on the market. We don't just permit them; we require them.
- Equity: Virtual Stock Options (VSOPs) so you own a piece of the mission.
- Flexibility: Monthly budget for co-working or fitness, and a "results-only" work culture.
Ready to lead the agentic revolution? If you have the technical depth of an architect and the empathy of a leader, we want to talk. We value ambition and a "builder" mindset over a perfect CV.
Key skills/competency
- Applied AI
- Automation
- Team Leadership
- Backend Development
- Python
- Node.js
- TypeScript
- Docker
- API Design
- AI Agents
Skills & topics
- Engineering Team Lead
- Applied AI
- Automation
- AI Engineer
- Remote
- Python
- Node.js
- TypeScript
- Docker
- Team Lead
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight leadership, AI experience, and backend skills.
- Showcase AI proficiency: Emphasize LLM tools and agentic workflow experience.
- Demonstrate consultative skills: Provide examples of translating business needs into tech roadmaps.
- Embrace remote work: Highlight your ability to thrive in an async, autonomous environment.
- Express your builder mindset: Focus on impact and ambition in your application.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is WorkFlex's approach to remote work for an Engineering Team Lead?
- WorkFlex is a remote-only company, offering true global mobility. As an Engineering Team Lead, you can work from anywhere and take up to 183 days of workations per year, emphasizing output over hours spent in an office.
- What does 'Player-Coach' mean for the Engineering Team Lead role at WorkFlex?
- The Player-Coach role means you will lead a team of 3 Applied AI Engineers while also actively contributing to the codebase. You'll spend roughly 50% of your time on people leadership and stakeholder management, and 50% on individual contribution, building automation workflows and standardizing deployment pipelines.
- How does WorkFlex utilize AI in its engineering processes?
- WorkFlex heavily relies on AI agents (like Claude Code, Cursor) for its engineering workflow. The team is expected to use AI as a high-leverage tool to build scalable internal tools at an accelerated pace, with a focus on agentic coding and shared AI prompting strategies.
- What are the key responsibilities of the Engineering Team Lead regarding automation?
- The Engineering Team Lead will define an ROI framework to measure the impact of automation, establish technical standards for API integrations and deployment, and partner with department heads to identify high-impact automation opportunities. You will ensure a unified and secure approach to automation development and deployment.
- What technical background is required for the Applied AI Team Lead position?
- A strong foundational background in Computer Science or Software Engineering is essential, with deep experience in backend technologies such as Python, Node.js/TypeScript, Docker, and API design. You need to be adept at auditing and guiding AI-generated architectures, acting as a 'BS-checker' for AI output.
- What kind of leadership experience is WorkFlex looking for?
- WorkFlex seeks candidates with 1-2+ years of experience in people management, particularly in a remote and highly autonomous environment. You should demonstrate the ability to grow engineers, manage performance effectively, and handle classical people management topics like 1-on-1s, performance reviews, and career growth.
- Does WorkFlex require specific experience with AI orchestration frameworks?
- While you don't need to be a foundational model researcher, WorkFlex expects you to be a power-user of LLM tools and orchestration frameworks. Experience with tools like n8n and agentic workflows with platforms like Claude is highly valued.