We are looking for a Research Team Lead to establish and lead a cross-product research team focused on horizontal, high-impact initiatives that influence multiple Cato offerings.

Unlike product-embedded research roles, this team drives foundational and strategic research projects across networking, security, identity, automation, and AI-driven capabilities. Examples include large-scale reasoning systems, autonomous policy frameworks, cross-domain detection and response concepts (xOps), and platform-wide intelligence capabilities.

You will combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership and execution skills -identifying impactful research directions, building a high-performing team, and turning advanced research into real platform capabilities used by thousands of customers worldwide.

Responsibilities

Technical Vision & Strategy

• Define and execute the roadmap for cross-product research initiatives.
• Identify high-leverage research opportunities that impact multiple domains and products.
• Drive long-term architectural thinking and influence platform evolution.
• Balance innovation, experimentation, and production-readiness.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, mentor, and grow a multidisciplinary team of researchers (AI, data, algorithms, networking, security).
• Establish high standards for research rigor, experimentation methodology, and engineering quality.
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and technical excellence.

Research & Execution

• Lead complex, ambiguous research initiatives from ideation through validation and productionization.
• Design large-scale experiments and validation methodologies using Cato’s data platform.
• Drive innovation in areas such as:
• Autonomous policy systems
• Cross-domain detection and response frameworks
• Large-scale reasoning and decision systems
• Data-driven optimization and automation capabilities
• Ensure research outcomes are measurable, scalable, and aligned with business impact.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Product, Engineering, Architecture, and Product Research teams to translate research into shipped capabilities.
• Provide technical guidance and influence cross-organizational decisions.
• Act as a bridge between exploratory research and production systems.

Communication & Influence

• Present research findings and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Produce clear technical documentation, design proposals, and internal position papers.
• Represent Platform Research as a center of excellence for cross-product innovation.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• BSc/MSc (PhD is a plus) in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in applied research, advanced engineering, or system-level innovation.
• 2+ years of experience leading technical teams or major cross-functional initiatives.

Technical Expertise

• Strong background in networking and cybersecurity, including deep understanding of network protocols, architectures, threat models, and modern security frameworks, with the ability to design and analyze secure, large-scale systems.
• Experience applying AI/ML in production environments.
• Experience designing and delivering complex systems operating at scale.
• Hands-on programming experience (Python, Go, Java, or similar).
• Experience working with large datasets and experimentation frameworks.
• Strong analytical thinking and ability to formalize complex problems.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution capabilities.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Excellent English communication skills.
• Team player, responsible, and well-organized.

Nice to Have

• Experience building autonomous or decision-making systems.
• Experience in networking or security product companies.
• Publications, patents, or recognized technical contributions.