Forward Deployed AI Engineer - Agentic Systems Lead

EPAM Systems; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

EPAM Systems, Inc. in McLean, VA, seeks a Forward Deployed Expert to own end-to-end delivery of AI-native solutions embedded in client environments. You’ll design and operate agentic frameworks that solve real business problems, not just prototypes.

Join EPAM to engineer impactful solutions, collaborate with top innovators, and grow your skills in a culture focused on tech excellence, reliability and growth.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering with leadership of agentic/LLM-based systems in production.
• Deep expertise in agent architecture, orchestration and multi-agent coordination.
• Experience grounding models in live data systems with retrieval and context construction.
• Ability to design guardrails, evaluations, and observability for agentic failures.

Responsibilities

• Own technical outcomes end-to-end as the AI-Native Delivery Manager's direct counterpart.
• Design, build, and operate agentic frameworks, tools, evaluations and infrastructure for production AI-native solutions.
• Work embedded with client stakeholders, adapting agentic systems to real integration, data and security constraints.
• Partner with delivery managers on scope and timelines, providing technical grounding.
• Contribute learnings to the delivery playbook, documenting staffing, tooling, and integration insights.
• Mentor engineers on the FDE pillar spectrum to grow toward full delivery ownership.

Skills

Agentic systems

LLM systems

Architecture orchestration

Production data grounding

Guardrails & observability

Security constraints

Job description

Step into a high-impact role where you'll own end-to-end delivery of AI-native solutions embedded directly within client environments. As a Forward Deployed Expert , you'll design and operate agentic frameworks that solve real business problems, not just build prototypes.

Join EPAM to engineer solutions that matter. From AI to cloud transformation, you'll collaborate with top-tier innovators, gain autonomy to explore your ideas, and grow your skills in a culture built for tech excellence.

Req.#1100243513

Responsibilities

• Own technical outcomes end-to-end as the AI-Native Delivery Manager's direct counterpart, driving workstream completion beyond task execution
• Design, build, and operate agentic frameworks, tools, evaluations, and infrastructure that power production AI-native solutions
• Work embedded with client business and technical stakeholders, adapting agentic systems to real integration, data, and security constraints
• Partner with delivery managers on scope and SLA definition, providing technical grounding for realistic commitments and timelines
• Contribute engagement learnings to the delivery playbook, documenting staffing patterns, tooling choices, and integration insights for future teams
• Mentor less experienced engineers on the FDE pillar spectrum, helping them grow from build-focused roles to full delivery ownership

Requirements

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with recent hands-on leadership of agentic or LLM-based systems in production environments
• Deep expertise in agent architecture and orchestration, including goal decomposition, multi-agent coordination, and autonomy-versus-handoff decision frameworks
• Proven experience grounding models in live data systems through retrieval, context construction, and maintaining accuracy against changing knowledge sources
• Ability to design guardrails, evaluations, and observability for agentic failure modes including hallucination, tool-call errors, and runaway loops
• Understanding of production trade-offs such as latency, cost per call, rate limits, versioning, and rollback under fixed-fee or managed-output SLAs
• Demonstrated ownership of technical workstream outcomes with accountability for results, including integration into client environments with security and legacy constraints

EPAM Systems, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We recognize the value of diversity and inclusion in creating success for our customers, business partners, shareholders, employees and communities. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, developing and promoting employees without discrimination. As a global employer, this commitment includes complying with all laws in the countries in which we operate. Nevertheless, we believe equal employment practices should not be limited to what the law requires. Equal opportunity and inclusion are essential to motivate, empower and recognize the best in everyone.

At EPAM, employment actions are based on individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital or familial status, national origin, ancestry, genetics, age, disability status, veteran status, citizenship status when otherwise legally able to work, or any other characteristic protected by law.