Principal Forward Deployed Engineer (relocation to Lithuania)

EPAM Systems; Al Khobar; Hybrid; SAR 235,000 - 329,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health insurance

Stock Purchase Plan

Hybrid work Lithuania

Professional growth

Job summary

EPAM Systems seeks a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer to lead AI-native systems development and client engagements. You will design end-to-end agentic solutions, write production Python, and collaborate with SMEs to deliver value while shaping use cases and ensuring observability.

The role requires deep expertise in LLMs, RAG, LangChain or similar frameworks, and a strong track record of delivering on cloud platforms with CI/CD. Hybrid setup with relocation to Lithuania is offered.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software engineering experience building production AI/LLM applications.
• Expert-level Python skills and solid software engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on experience with LangChain, LangGraph or Semantic Kernel and major LLM providers.
• Strong RAG and retrieval skills including vector databases and embeddings.
• Production deployment on AWS/Azure/GCP with containerization and CI/CD.
• Experience evaluating generative AI quality using custom evaluation frameworks and observability tools.
• Ability to lead discovery conversations with clients and explain trade-offs to diverse audiences.
• Strong agent-design judgment and engineering judgment under ambiguity to balance speed and quality.
• C1 level English language proficiency.
• Academic degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or 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.
• Collaborate with SMEs and end-users through interviews and workflow observations.
• Engage early to shape use cases and assess technical feasibility.
• Build evaluation pipelines to prove system utility.
• Design for failure with retries, model fallbacks and human-in-the-loop actions.
• Capture domain knowledge and repeatable workflows across engagements.
• Adhere to engineering standards including test-driven development and CI.

Skills

Python

LLM development

AI systems

English (C1)

Cloud platforms

Agentic frameworks

Education

CS/Software Engineering degree

Tools

LangChain

LangGraph

Semantic Kernel

AWS

Azure

GCP

CI/CD

Vector databases

Job description

We are looking for a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer to join our team with eventual relocation to Lithuania. 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 Lithuania, whether it's your home or our dynamic offices in Vilnius and Kaunas.

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

• Global Community of Experts: Learn from and collaborate with top professionals across 55+ countries.
• Advanced Tech Stack: Work on innovative projects and apply or enhance your expertise in Cloud, Data, AI and other emerging technologies.
• Industry Leadership: Join the company recognized globally as a leader in Life Sciences and technology, with 12 of the top 15 Life Science companies relying on us.
• World-Class Clients: Make an impact for 340+ Forbes Global 2000 companies, including the world’s 10 top Pharma, Life Science and MedTech clients.
• Professional Growth: In-house training, mentorship and resources to help you become a highly valued T‑shaped professional, combining deep LSHC expertise with diverse…
• Hybrid Setup: Enjoy the flexibility to work from anywhere in Lithuania, whether at home or in our dynamic offices in Vilnius and Kaunas.
• Other employee benefits
• Private health insurance, including well-being and psychological support
• Participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 15% discount
• Access to external educational platforms, including LinkedIn Learning and Udemy
• Employee referral program with bonuses for successful hires
• PERKS discount platform and other exclusive EPAM offers
• Corporate SIM card with unlimited calls and internet
• 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 Lithuania, whether it's your home or our dynamic offices in Vilnius and Kaunas
• 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 Lithuania to over 1,300+ talented innovators in just 5 years. We foster creativity and unconventional ways of doing things, welcoming like‑minded professionals to join us.