Lead Harness Engineer

About FICO and the Role

FICO, a globally recognized analytics software leader serving over 100 countries, invites you to join their team in Bengaluru in a pivotal technical role within the emerging domain of Harness Engineering. This discipline addresses the verification and trust challenges that arise as AI coding agents accelerate code generation beyond human review speeds. Harness Engineering builds the systems and controls that guide AI models toward producing correct, maintainable software automatically, reducing human oversight.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and maintain components of the harness including instruction guides, feedback mechanisms, guardrails, and shared context to convert AI model capabilities into reliable production engineering outputs.
• Develop feedforward tools such as agent instruction files, reusable skills, architectural standards, reference documentation, and automated code modifications to optimize first-time correctness by agents.
• Implement feedback sensors including custom linters, static analyzers, structural and architectural tests, and AI-driven review processes to identify issues prior to human review.
• Manage corrective steering mechanisms when agents repeat mistakes and ensure repository documentation remains clear and accessible to prevent knowledge drift.
• Contribute to quality control gates, release criteria, and develop testing frameworks verifying AI output meets quality and safety standards.
• Enhance observability into agent activities by tracking critical metrics like cost per merged pull request, merge times, review rates, defect escapes, and successful agent-PR outcomes.
• Assess harness elements for stability, scalability, compatibility, interoperability, and performance effectiveness.
• Continuously adopt new advancements in agent-augmented engineering and mentor junior engineers.

Candidate Profile

• Degree in Computer Science or related fields, or equivalent practical experience in software architecture, design, development, and testing.
• Strong foundation in software engineering with experience managing large codebases emphasizing architectural integrity, rigorous testing, and maintainability.
• Proficiency in developing developer tools across modern technology stacks including linters, CI/CD pipelines, containerized testing environments, and monitoring instrumentation, with familiarity in agent instruction standards like AGENTS.md.
• Practical experience working with AI coding agents such as Claude Code or Codex, and insight into their performance strengths and limitations.
• Knowledge of spec-driven development, context engineering, agent orchestration, fitness function methodologies, and developer platform collaboration.
• A systems-oriented mindset focusing on improving tool environments rather than individual outputs, with the ability to encode standards for “correctness” via automated rules.
• Discerning judgment in balancing deterministic controls (type checkers, linters) against inferential, AI-based reviewers, considering trade-offs in cost, speed, and reliability.
• Excellent communication skills to engage with architects for design discussions and collaborate on strategy and requirements with cross-functional teams.

What FICO Offers

• A values-driven inclusive culture emphasizing ownership, customer delight, and mutual respect.
• Opportunities for impactful contributions and professional growth through leveraging personal strengths and valuable learning experiences.
• Competitive pay, benefits, and recognition programs encouraging high performance.
• A supportive, people-centered workplace offering work-life balance, employee resource groups, and social events fostering connection and camaraderie.

About FICO Impact

FICO is a leader in Big Data analytics technology creating essential solutions used globally, including credit scoring by 90 of the top 100 US lenders, securing 4 billion payment cards worldwide, and facilitating approval of three-quarters of US mortgages. The company ranks among the top 100 software enterprises by revenue, serving numerous major banks, insurers, retailers, and telecom firms through data-driven decision optimization.

Equal Opportunity Statement

FICO champions diversity and inclusion by welcoming applicants regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status. They encourage candidates who meet many, but not necessarily all, qualifications to apply, recognizing that unique strengths can contribute to success. Application information is handled per FICO's privacy policy.