CTO, Anthropic Practice

EPAM Systems; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 325,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account

Matched 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

Paid Time Off

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

EPAM Systems Inc in San Francisco seeks a hands-on CTO to lead the Anthropic practice's technical side from first client conversation to signed deal and live delivery. You will shape agentic architectures and ensure what we sell is deliverable.

You will run executive briefings, architect end-to-end solutions with Claude-based agents, and mentor a bench of AI architects while collaborating with sales, delivery, and Anthropic teams to scale enterprise programs.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in software engineering, architecture, or technical consulting.
• 5+ years in a senior client-facing technical role (field CTO, principal architect, or head of solutions engineering).
• Hands-on ML/NLP background predates LLMs; understanding of finetuning vs retrieval vs prompting.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical story of major deals across four deal stages.
• Lead technical discovery with C-level and business stakeholders; identify value creation.
• Run executive briefings, architecture whiteboards, and live Claude-based demos.
• Build business cases: baseline, target state, ROI, risk profile.
• Design agentic architectures with orchestration, data integration, guardrails.
• Scope proofs of concept and pilots to de-risk deals; drive production readiness.

Education

Advanced degree in computer science / machine learning

Tools

Claude API

Claude Enterprise

Job description

EPAM is hiring a hands-on CTO to lead the technical side of our Anthropic practice, from the first client conversation to a signed deal and live delivery. The focus is agentic process transformation: redesigning end-to-end business processes around Claude-based agents that do real work, not just assist employees.You will be the practice's senior technical voice in front of clients. You shape the solution, defend it in the room, and make sure what we sell is what we can deliver. You will work alongside sales, partner, and delivery leaders across EPAM, and with Anthropic's own teams on joint pursuits.Req# 1123864311ResponsibilitiesOwn the technical story of every major deal, across four stages of the deal lifecycleLead technical discovery with C-level and business stakeholders, and find the processes where agents create measurable value (cost, cycle time, quality, revenue)Run executive briefings, architecture whiteboard sessions, and live demos of Claude-based agentic solutionsBuild the business case: process baseline, target state, ROI model, and risk profileAct as the technical counterpart to Anthropic's account and solutions teams on joint pursuitsOwn the technical solution in proposals and RFP responses: architecture, delivery approach, estimates, staffing model, assumptions, and risksDesign agentic architectures: orchestration patterns, tool and data integration, human-in-the-loop checkpoints, evaluation, observability, and guardrailsShape commercial models with sales, including phased (pilot to scale) and outcome-based pricingScope fast proofs of concept and pilots that de-risk the deal and convert into signed programsStay with the deal through negotiation and answer technical due diligence, security, and compliance questionsAct as technical sponsor over the delivery lead and architect on flagship engagements, and ensure pilots reach production at enterprise scaleSet engineering standards for agent development: evals, testing, context management, cost and latency control, security, and governanceServe as the escalation point for technical risk across the Anthropic portfolioBuild reusable assets: reference architectures, accelerators, agent templates, demo environments, and industry solution playbooksHire, mentor, and grow a bench of agentic AI architects and FDEs, and train EPAM's wider pre-sales and delivery communityTrack Anthropic's roadmap and the wider AI market, and turn new models and products into client offers within weeks of releaseRepresent EPAM externally at client workshops, Anthropic partner events, and industry conferences, and publish points of viewRequirementsA builder who can sell and a seller who can build, with real depth in core AIExperience: 12+ years in software engineering, architecture, or technical consulting, including 5+ years in a senior client-facing technical role (field CTO, principal architect, or head of solutions engineering)Core AI depth: a hands-on background in machine learning or NLP that predates LLMs, plus a working grasp of how LLMs are trained, evaluated, and deployed (fine-tuning vs. retrieval vs. prompting, context windows, embeddings, reasoning, tool use)Agentic systems in production: has designed and shipped LLM-based agents that run real workflows, with tool use, multi-step planning, multi-agent orchestration, retrieval, memory, and evaluationPre-sales track record: has led the technical side of large proposals, won them, and presented to C-level buyersProcess transformation: can map a business process, find where agents fit, and redesign the operating model around them, rather than bolting a chatbot onto the old processEnterprise architecture breadth: cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), APIs and integration, data platforms, identity and security, and the enterprise systems agents must work with (ERP, CRM, ITSM, core industry platforms)Communication: explains technical trade-offs to non-technical executives, then goes deep with client engineering teams the same dayStill hands-on: comfortable building a prototype or demo in Python or TypeScriptCuriosity and speed: keeps pace with a fast-moving platform and is energized, not overwhelmed, by monthly product releasesNice to haveAnthropic platform: built with Claude models through the Claude API, Claude Agent SDK, Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent Skills, and Claude Code; has rolled out Claude EnterpriseCloud channels: has deployed Claude through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, or Microsoft FoundryCompetitive fluency: knows other agent frameworks and model providers well enough to position Claude credibly against themAI governance: working knowledge of the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, and the rules of regulated industriesLLMOps: experience with evaluation, observability, and cost management for agents in productionIndustry depth in one or more of EPAM's core sectors: financial services, insurance, life sciences and healthcare, retail and consumer, software and hi-tech, or travel and hospitalityBackground at a major consultancy, hyperscaler, or AI lab in a field CTO, applied AI, or solutions engineering roleEducation: advanced degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related field, or equivalent experience. Publications, patents, or open-source work are a plusWe offerMedical, Dental and Vision Insurance (Subsidized)Health Savings AccountFlexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter)Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (Company Provided)Life and AD&D Insurance (Company Provided)Employee Assistance ProgramUnlimited access to LinkedIn learning solutionsMatched 401(k) Retirement Savings PlanPaid Time OffLegal Plan and Identity Theft ProtectionAccident InsuranceEmployee DiscountsPet InsuranceEmployee Stock Purchase ProgramEPAM is a leading global provider of digital platform engineering and development services. We are committed to having a positive impact on our clients, our employees, and our communities. We embrace a dynamic and inclusive culture. Here you will collaborate with multi-national teams, contribute to a myriad of innovative projects that deliver the most creative and cutting-edge solutions, and have an opportunity to continuously learn and grow. No matter where you are located, you will join a dedicated, creative, and diverse community that will help you discover your fullest potential.Engineer the Future with a Career at EPAMThis posting includes a good faith range of the salary EPAM would reasonably expect to pay the selected candidate. The range provided reflects base salary only. Individual compensation offers within the range are based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: geographic location, experience, credentials, education, training, the demand for the role; and overall business and labor market considerations. Most candidates are hired at a salary within the range disclosed. Salary range: $200,000-$325,000 USD. This position is also eligible for variable compensation incentives. In addition, the details highlighted in this job posting above are a general description of all other expected benefits and compensation for the position.Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.In accordance with the LA County Fair Chance Ordinance, you may find a copy of the Notice containing a summary of the Ordinance’s key provisions here: Concept FCO Posting 8 27 24 (lacounty.gov)Applicants and Employees in Unincorporated Los Angeles County: The Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance (LAFCO) requires employers conducting criminal history checks for applicants or employees to state the job duties for which certain criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship. For this position, these job duties include: engaging with clients, employees, and other third-parties (including the general public); accessing company and client information, IT systems and infrastructure, assets, property, and products, including proprietary coding, programs, applications, and data; and appropriately handling such information, including company and client confidential and personal information. For this reason, certain criminal history may result in the withdrawal of a condition offer of employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the LAFCO and the California Fair Chance Act.EPAM welcomes all applicants and will consider qualified candidates with criminal history such as arrest and conviction records in a manner consistent applicable law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.EPAM will not provide new H-1B visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates with existing transferable H-1B status may be considered.