Tech
Atlassian layoffs impact 63 workers in Washington as CTO steps down
Enterprise collaboration software giant Atlassian is laying off 63 workers in Washington, according to a WARN notice filed with state regulators.
Atlassian announced Wednesday that it will lay off about 10% of its staff, or 1,600 employees, as the 24-year-old software firm transitions to an “AI-first company.” Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes wrote that AI is changing the mix of skills and number of roles required in certain areas.
“This is primarily about adaptation,” he said. “We are reshaping our skill mix and changing how we work to build for the future.”
Atlassian opened an office in Bellevue, Wash., in 2024. The WARN notice indicates that nearly all the employees affected by layoffs in Washington state are remote workers. About half of the affected workers are in engineering or data science roles.
The company also announced Wednesday that CTO Rajeev Rajan, who is based in the Seattle region, will step down after nearly four years with Atlassian. “Atlassian is thankful for Mr. Rajan’s many contributions in building a world-class R&D organization and congratulates the promotion of next generation AI talent in Taroon Mandhana (CTO Teamwork) and Vikram Rao (CTO Enterprise and Chief Trust Officer),” the company wrote in a SEC filing.
Rajan was previously a VP of engineering at Meta and led the the company’s Pacific Northwest engineering hub. He also spent more than two decades at Microsoft in various leadership roles.
Several tech companies have cut staff in the Seattle area this year, including Amazon, Expedia, T-Mobile, and Smartsheet. Many corporations are slashing headcount to address pandemic-fueled corporate “bloat” while juggling economic uncertainty and impact from AI tools.
The recent rise of AI tools have also spooked some investors as some software stocks have taken a hit. Atlassian shares are down more than 50% this year.