Principal Forward Deployed Engineer (relocation to Hungary)

EPAM Systems; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 562,000 - 787,000; Full time

Job summary

EPAM Systems is seeking a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer to design and build AI-native systems, collaborating with SMEs and end-users to identify value in real-world deployments. The role emphasizes production-grade Python, agentic workflows, and scalable evaluation pipelines.

Expect engagement with major cloud platforms and observability tooling, with relocation to Hungary as part of the opportunity. Applicants should have 7+ years of software engineering experience, expert Python skills,

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software engineering with production AI/LLM apps.
• Expert Python skills and strong engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on with LangChain, LangGraph or Semantic Kernel and major LLMs.
• Strong RAG, embeddings, vector DBs and context management.
• Production deployments on AWS/Azure/GCP with containers and CI/CD.
• Experience evaluating AI quality with custom eval frameworks & observability.
• Ability to lead client discussions and explain trade-offs.
• C1 English proficiency; degree in CS/Software Eng or related field.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and ship end-to-end AI-native systems with agents and workflows.
• Write production-grade Python code for integrations and deployments.
• Collaborate with SMEs and end-users to shape use cases and Feasibility.
• Develop evaluation pipelines to prove system utility.
• Design for failure with retries, model fallbacks and human-in-the-loop actions.
• Capture repeatable workflows and ensure engineering excellence and tests.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical challenges with the team.

Skills

Python programming

AI/LLM systems

LangChain LangGraph Semantic Kernel

Cloud platforms (AWS Azure GCP)

CI/CD and containerization

Production-grade software engineering

Client-facing discovery conversations

Education

Bachelor's or higher in CS/Software Eng

Tools

LangChain

LangGraph

Semantic Kernel

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

We are looking for a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer to join our team with eventual relocation to Hungary. EPAM is renowned for delivering cutting-edge technological solutions to transform businesses worldwide. We are building AI-native solutions for our clients - products where LLM and its harness are the core of the value. This is a builder's role: you and your team are responsible for building agentic systems, writing the production code, and standing up the evals and observability. You will work closely with SMEs and end-users to understand where the real value lies, and you design the feedback loops. The deadline for submission is 01.12.2026.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and ship end-to-end AI-native systems including agents, workflows, RAG and integration harnesses.
• Write production-grade Python code for integrations, APIs, data access and deployment.
• Work directly with subject matter experts and end-users through interviews, user acceptance testing and workflow observations.
• Engage early in projects to shape use cases and check technical feasibility.
• Build evaluation pipelines and use them to prove system utility.
• Design for failure in the agent loop by implementing retries, model fallbacks, cost limits and human-in-the-loop actions.
• Capture domain expertise and repeatable workflows to ensure success across engagements.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical challenges in collaboration with the broader team.
• Ensure adherence to engineering excellence standards including test-driven development and continuous integration practices.

Requirements

• 7+ years of software engineering experience with a strong track record of building production AI and LLM applications.
• Expert-level Python skills and solid software engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on experience with agentic frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph or Semantic Kernel and major LLM providers.
• Strong RAG and retrieval skills including vector databases, embeddings, hybrid search and context management.
• Production deployment experience on major cloud platforms like AWS, Azure or GCP with containerization and CI/CD.
• Proven experience evaluating generative AI quality using custom evaluation frameworks and observability tools.
• Proven capability to work closely with clients, lead discovery conversations and explain technical trade-offs to diverse audiences.
• Strong agent-design judgment and sound engineering judgment under ambiguity to balance speed, quality and scope.
• C1 level English language proficiency.
• An academic degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related field.

Nice to have

• Experience designing experiments, A/B testing and iterating on AI products against real user behavior.
• Strong background in NLP, Data Science or applied machine learning with experience moving models into production.
• Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent-to-Agent (A2A), Agent Skills and emerging agent standards.
• Experience with enterprise AI platforms such as AWS Bedrock AgentCore, Databricks Genie or Microsoft Foundry.
• Exposure to AI governance, security and compliance including guardrails and prompt-injection prevention.