Lead AI Engineer

EPAM Systems; Montenegro; Hybrid; BRL 474,000 - 710,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Global team

Career development

Stock Purchase Plan

Medical package

Learning Platform Access

English classes

Job summary

EPAM Systems is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to design and develop comprehensive AI applications, including chatbots and agent workflows, for clients. You will work closely with clients to deliver tailored LLM-driven solutions that meet business needs and maintain data pipelines and AI system performance.

In a hybrid Montenegro setup (Herceg-Novi and Podgorica offices or from home), you will pursue continuous improvement and stay updated on LLM frameworks, while also ensuring cost-efficient,

Qualifications

• Proven experience in AI engineering and delivering ML-based solutions.
• Strong Python and web framework skills (FastAPI).
• Experience deploying AI solutions at scale with performance and cost considerations.
• Ability to evaluate generative AI quality using retrieval/classification metrics.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain end-to-end AI applications including chatbots and agent workflows.
• Collaborate with clients to understand needs and propose LLM-driven solutions.
• Develop and manage robust data pipelines, prompt strategies and datasets.
• Evaluate and refine AI system performance ensuring accuracy, security, and scalability.
• Conduct R&D to validate feasibility and demonstrate business value.
• Stay current with evolving LLM technologies and frameworks.

Skills

Python

FastAPI

Streamlit

Gradio

LangGraph

LlamaIndex

Agents

RAG

AI engineering

ML-based solutions

Tools

OpenAI APIs

Anthropic

Amazon Bedrock

GCP Vertex AI

Azure OpenAI

vLLM

Job description

We are seeking a Lead AI Engineer to design and develop comprehensive AI applications, including chatbots and agent workflows. You will work closely with clients to deliver tailored LLM-driven solutions that align with their business needs. Your role involves creating and managing data pipelines, refining AI system performance and staying informed on the latest LLM technologies and frameworks. Join us to advance your career by solving complex AI challenges and delivering impactful solutions.

This position offers hybrid setup with the flexibility to work from any location in Montenegro, whether it's your home or our dynamic offices in Herceg-Novi and Podgorica.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain end-to-end AI applications, including chatbots, Q&A platforms and agent workflows
• Collaborate directly with clients to understand their needs, identify opportunities and recommend LLM-driven solutions
• Develop and manage robust data pipelines, prompt strategies and datasets to ensure effective and accurate AI models (Will be +)
• Evaluate and refine AI system performance, ensuring outputs are accurate, secure, scalable and compliant with industry regulations (Will be +)
• Conduct research and rapid prototyping to validate technical feasibility and demonstrate business value of AI solutions
• Stay current with evolving LLM technologies, frameworks and methodologies to continuously improve solutions and client outcomes

Requirements

• Strong proficiency in Python, experience with web frameworks like FastAPI or similar
• Understanding of the AI application development lifecycle
• Experience with rapid UI prototyping using Streamlit, Gradio or similar frameworks
• Familiarity with major LLM platforms and APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon Bedrock, Gemini) and related frameworks (LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Strands Agents, etc.)
• Knowledge of advanced AI integration patterns (e.g., RAG, Agents)
• Experience deploying AI solutions at scale, with considerations for performance, cost-efficiency and maintainability
• Proven ability to evaluate generative AI quality using metrics such as retrieval and classification scores, as well as LLM-based evaluation methods
• Proven experience in AI engineering and delivering ML-based solutions
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Excellent communication, collaboration and interpersonal skills
• English level of minimum B2 (Upper-Intermediate)

Nice to have

• Experience designing experiments, conducting A/B tests, and iterating on models based on user feedback
• Understanding of retrieval systems (keyword search, vector search, embeddings) and ranking algorithms
• Familiarity with emerging protocols such as MCP, A2A, ACP, etc.
• Experience deploying to cloud AI platforms (Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, GCP Vertex AI) or on-premise solutions (e.g., vLLM)
• Experience with enterprise AI platforms such as AWS AgentCore or Databricks AgentBricks or Google Agents Space or Azure AI Foundry
• Experience with observability and monitoring tools and frameworks

We offer

• We connect like-minded people
• Experience exchange with colleagues from 55+ locations
• Corporate and social events
• Enjoyable working environment
• Personal career development, soft skills and well-being programs
• Unlimited access to Internal Learning Platform
• Free English classes with certified teachers
• Participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Comprehensive medical package (can be extended to family members)
• Four trust days per year for personal needs
• Benefits package (hotels, restaurants, stores and services)

EPAM is a leading global provider of digital platform engineering and development services. For over 30 years, our team has helped leading brands navigate the waves of digital transformation, building solutions that help them stay competitive through constant market disruption.

Thank you for your interest in this position. Please note that only candidates whose experience closely matches the job requirements will be contacted. If you do not receive an email from us, please do not be discouraged - feel free to apply for other positions that better align with your experience. If you have any questions, you can reach us at [e-mail].