Lead AI Engineer

EPAM Systems, Inc.; Turkey; On-site; TRY 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Continuous upskilling

English courses

Extra leave days

Referral bonuses

Private health insurance

Job summary

EPAM Systems, Inc. is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to spearhead Generative AI initiatives, architect enterprise-grade AI systems, and mentor a high-performing team.

The role focuses on Python-based NLP, LLM integrations, and cutting-edge AI strategies to deliver measurable business impact for clients. You will collaborate with clients and stakeholders to translate goals into technical roadmaps, optimize performance, security, and cost, and drive innovative PoCs using modern AI tooling and cloud

Qualifications

• 5+ years in Lead/Principal/Senior AI/Software Eng role shipping production-grade AI/ML solutions.

Responsibilities

• Drive technical vision and architecture for scalable enterprise AI apps including multi-agent workflows and end-to-end AI systems.
• Establish engineering standards and mentor junior and senior developers.
• Direct R&D by guiding research on emerging models and prototyping strategies.

Skills

Python

NLP

Leadership

Architecture

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related

Tools

LangGraph

LlamaIndex

LangSmith

Azure OpenAI

Databricks MLflow

Job description

We are looking for a skilled, innovation-driven Lead AI Engineer to join our team and spearhead the development of cutting-edge Generative AI solutions. If you're passionate about artificial intelligence and adept at building systems that deliver measurable business impact, this opportunity is ideal for you. You will work with a dynamic group of professionals to create and deploy AI-driven technologies that tackle real-world challenges — all within a highly collaborative, supportive, and forward-focused environment.As a technical leader, you won't just write code; you will shape our AI technical roadmap, architect complex enterprise-grade systems, act as a trusted advisor to our clients, and mentor and grow a high-performing engineering team.If you love Python, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and driving innovation at the intersection of AI strategy and software craftsmanship, we want to hear from you!ResponsibilitiesDrive technical vision and architecture by leading the design and implementation of highly scalable, robust enterprise AI applications, including complex multi-agent workflows, custom search engines, and end-to-end AI systemsPartner closely with clients and business stakeholders to translate business goals into technical roadmaps and recommend high-impact, feasible LLM-driven solutionsEstablish engineering standards by setting the benchmark for code quality, architectural patterns, robust data pipelines, smart prompt management, and automated evaluation frameworksFoster a culture of learning and high performance through design reviews, development best practices, and active mentorship of junior and senior developersDirect R&D and innovation by guiding research on emerging models, framing prototyping strategies (PoCs), and standardizing the tools and frameworks used to stay on the bleeding edge of Generative AIRequirements5+ years of experience in a Lead, Principal, or Senior AI/Software Engineering role, with a track record of architecting and shipping complex, production-grade AI or ML-based solutionsAt least 1 year of relevant leadership experienceMaster-level proficiency in Python (specifically FastAPI or equivalent web frameworks) and a strong foundation in core NLP concepts (semantic similarity, tokenization, NER, text classification)Expertise in modern Generative AI design patterns, particularly RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), autonomous multi-agent networks, and tool integrationProduction experience with major LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Bedrock, Gemini) and framework orchestration tools such as LangGraph or LlamaIndexBackground in optimizing AI applications for performance, security (prompt injection mitigation, data privacy), cloud costs, and system evaluation using programmatic or LLM-as-a-judge approachesCapability to quickly direct and build intuitive UI/UX prototypes using Streamlit, Gradio, or equivalentOutstanding leadership and communication skills to lead engineering discussions, bridge the gap between technical and non-technical audiences, and present technical architectures to executives and clientsStrong English communication skills (B2 level or higher)Nice to haveFull-stack capabilities with TypeScriptExperience incorporating AI into the SDLC to boost team efficiency using tools like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or specialized agents for automationCloud architecture expertise in AWS or Azure (specifically Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, or cloud-native containerized deployments)Familiarity with Databricks (MLflow, Agent Bricks, Unity Catalog) for orchestrating data pipelines and model lifecyclesKnowledge of advanced search/retrieval systems (hybrid search, vector databases, custom rerankers and ranking algorithms)Familiarity with emerging open-source protocols (like Model Context Protocol - MCP) and LLM monitoring tools (like LangSmith or Arize Phoenix)We offerCONTINUOUS UPSKILLING, LEARNING & DEVELOPMENTDiversity of tasks and projectsAssessment center for objective review of competency levelPersonal development planMentoring programs and leadership developmentCertification and professional development supportAccess to learning platforms including more than 2,500 internal coursesEnglish courses taught by certified teachersCORPORATE BENEFITSExtra leave daysReferral bonusesCOMPENSATION PACKAGECompetitive compensation paid in USDRegular salary and performance reviewsMEDICAL & HEALTHCAREPrivate health insuranceWell-being eventsWORKING ENVIRONMENTRecreation areas and kitchensTea, coffee and snacksSports equipment and game consolesIT EquipmentMicrosoft’s Software Assurance Home Use Program (HUP)Please note that our Talent Attraction Team reviews applications and CVs submitted in English.EPAM is global leader in AI transformation engineering and integrated consulting, serving Forbes Global 2000 companies and ambitious startups. With over thirty years of expertise in custom software, product and platform engineering, we empower our clients to become AI-Native enterprises, driving measurable value from innovation and digital investments.