Principal Forward Deployed Engineer (relocation to Latvia)

EPAM Systems; Al Khobar; Hybrid; SAR 243,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

EPAM Systems in Latvia seeks a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer to design and ship AI-native systems, writing production Python and building end-to-end workflows. You will work with SMEs and end-users to shape use cases and ensure technical feasibility in the real world.

This hybrid role offers relocation to Latvia, collaboration with global clients, and opportunities to contribute to evaluation pipelines, governance, and high-availability architectures.

Qualifications

• 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

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

Skills

Software engineering

Python

AI/LLM development

English proficiency

Education

Computer Science degree

Tools

LangChain

LangGraph

Semantic Kernel

AWS

Azure

GCP

Docker

CI/CD

Vector databases

Job description

We are looking for a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer to join our team with eventual relocation to Latvia. 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.

This position offers hybrid setup with the flexibility to work from any location in Latvia, whether it's your home or our office in Riga.

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

We offer

• Engineering Heritage: Best-in-class experts sharing a culture of engineering excellence and tackling complex engineering challenges for over 30 years.
• Advanced Tech Stack: Innovative projects where you can apply or enhance your expertise in Cloud, Data, AI, and other emerging technologies.
• World-Class Clients: Work closely with 340+ of the Forbes Global 2000 on creating disruptive solutions that make a global impact.
• Professional Growth: Exceptional support for career development with comprehensive resources for upskilling or reskilling in pioneering practices.
• GenAI Community: Strong AI competencies with 600+ experts across 55+ locations driving GenAI-enabled transformation journeys.
• Entrepreneurial Culture: If you're passionate and dedicated to improving business transformation, we provide the support you need to bring your ideas to life.
• Hybrid Setup: The flexibility to work from any location in Latvia, whether it's your home or our office in Riga.
• Other Benefits: Additional vacation and trust days, private health insurance, Employee Stock Purchase Plan and more.

Salary range €5K-€7K gross, based on your experience and interview results.

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.With offices in 55+ countries, EPAM has grown in Latvia to over 150+ talented innovators in 4 years. We foster creativity and unconventional ways of doing things, welcoming like-minded professionals to join us.