Vice President of R&D, Email & Collaboration Threat Protection

About Mimecast

Mimecast is a leading cybersecurity company that secures Human, Data and AI, protecting organizations across the people who work for them, the data they rely on, and the AI systems now woven through how they operate. With over 42,000 customers worldwide, we analyse more than 18 billion security events daily to stop attacks before they cause harm.

Our business is to secure Human, Data and AI. People remain both an organization's greatest asset and its most targeted point of attack, the data they create and depend on needs protecting wherever it moves, and the AI systems now embedded in daily work introduce a new surface that has to be defended. Our platform combines advanced threat detection, awareness training, and Incydr data protection to reduce the likelihood and impact of security incidents across all three.

AI-First Engineering at Mimecast

Mimecast is an AI-First engineering organization. Our teams actively leverage AI-powered development tools across all facets of engineering, from code development to testing, documentation, and operations. We are looking for leaders who don't just use AI tools but champion their adoption and establish new ways of working.

Our AI leadership extends beyond how we build to what we build. Our Mihra AI agent delivers 7x faster threat response for customers, and we're recognized as "Agents of Change" in cybersecurity. Engineers here work at the intersection of cutting-edge AI tooling and AI-powered security products that protect organizations worldwide.

The Opportunity

This is a pivotal leadership role owning Mimecast's largest product engineering pillar. Email & Collaboration Threat Protection protects organizations from the most prevalent attack vector in cybersecurity: email. Our products detect and block phishing, malware, business email compromise, and advanced persistent threats before they reach users.

You will lead approximately 140 engineers globally, across multiple product lines including Secure Email Gateway, API Based Protection for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, MTA infrastructure, DMARC authentication services, and Mimecast's core Threat Detection Capabilities and Threat Research teams (including AI/ML teams).

Threat detection is a core Mimecast capability that sits within this pillar. It is used most heavily by Email & Collaboration and also supports other product areas, so you will lead it as a shared capability and collaborate closely across pillars to keep priorities aligned. Your Threat Research teams keep Mimecast ahead of how attackers evolve, including the detection of AI-powered threats such as prompt injection, agent abuse, and deepfakes.

You will drive a significant transformation agenda including migrating our platform to AWS with a strong focus on FinOps, cost of goods sold (COGS), and overall cost optimisation. As we move to the public cloud, cost to serve and capacity planning are essential. You will also accelerate AI adoption across engineering practices, modernise legacy systems, and build the next generation of engineering leadership. Our MTA platform processes billions of emails daily; you'll ensure this critical infrastructure evolves while maintaining the reliability our customers depend on.

We operate with a sense of urgency. Cyber threats don't wait, and neither do we. You'll lead teams that move fast, make decisions with conviction, and deliver results. We expect leaders who thrive in this environment and instil the same urgency across their organizations.

What You'll Do

• Own the Pillar: Take full accountability for Email & Collaboration Threat Protection delivery outcomes, engineering quality, and team health across approximately 140 engineers with a strong focus on delivering results.
• Lead the Cloud Migration: Drive the transition to AWS over the next 12 to 18 months. Make pragmatic decisions about migration strategy and re-architecture, managing risk while maintaining service reliability.
• Drive FinOps Excellence: Own cloud cost management with a FinOps mindset. Understand and optimise cost of goods sold (COGS), implement cost to serve metrics, drive capacity planning, and ensure engineering decisions consider their financial impact. Build a culture where cost awareness is embedded in engineering practices.
• Champion AI-First Engineering: Establish AI-augmented practices across all engineering functions, not just development. Drive adoption, measure impact, and create new ways of working that leverage AI throughout the software lifecycle.
• Lead Threat Detection and Research: Own Mimecast's core threat detection capabilities and the Threat Research teams behind them. Lead these as a shared capability that Email & Collaboration relies on most heavily while other product areas also depend on it, working across pillars so detection serves the whole company. Drive the detection of emerging AI-powered threats including prompt injection, agent abuse, and deepfakes, so Mimecast stays ahead of how attackers are evolving.
• Build and Develop Leaders: Assess and strengthen the engineering leadership team. Make difficult decisions where needed, develop high-potential leaders, and hire externally to fill gaps. Create a leadership culture of accountability, technical excellence, and psychological safety.
• Own Technical Strategy: Shape the architectural direction for Email & Collaboration Threat Protection. Make sound decisions about platform evolution, technical debt reduction, and technology investment. Drive modernisation initiatives including decomposition of monolithic systems.
• Drive Engineering Excellence: Establish and maintain high standards for code quality, architecture, testing, and operational reliability. Use data to measure and improve engineering velocity and quality.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Collaborate effectively with Product Management, Architecture, Security, Finance, and other engineering leaders to align priorities and deliver business value. Communicate with clarity and transparency at executive level.
• Operational Accountability: Own the reliability and performance of services processing billions of emails daily. Ensure robust monitoring, incident response, and continuous improvement of operational practices.