Forward Deployed Engineer

Elios Talent; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology staffing firm in Chicago is seeking Forward Deployed Engineers to build and deploy AI systems. This role involves designing and implementing LLM-powered applications, working directly with business stakeholders, and iterating in live environments. Ideal candidates will have 3-8 years of software engineering experience with strong Python skills and familiarity with deploying distributed systems. You will be responsible for producing scalable solutions that effectively integrate with client workflows and meet performance metrics.

Qualifications

• 3–8+ years of software engineering experience is required.
• Strong proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript is essential.
• Experience with AI systems and LLM orchestration is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy LLM-powered applications.
• Build and optimize data pipelines for performance.
• Work directly with stakeholders to solve business problems.

Skills

Software engineering experience

Strong proficiency in Python

Experience with TypeScript

Experience building distributed systems

API development

Data-intensive applications

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

GCP

Azure

Airflow

Kafka

Snowflake

Databricks

BigQuery

Postgres

LangChain

LangGraph

Job description

Overview

We’re hiring Forward Deployed Engineers to build and deploy AI systems in real-world environments.

This is a client-embedded engineering role. You will take ambiguous problems, design technical solutions, and ship production systems that integrate LLMs, data infrastructure, and operational workflows. You are not building demos—you are building systems that are used, measured, and iterated on.

What You’ll Do

Build Production AI Systems

• Design and deploy LLM-powered applications using APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, open-source models)
• Build agent-based systems using orchestration frameworks (LangChain, LangGraph, custom agents)
• Develop evaluation pipelines for non-deterministic outputs (prompt testing, scoring, guardrails)
• Build and optimize data pipelines (batch + streaming) using tools like Airflow, Kafka, or similar
• Design data models and integrate structured/unstructured data sources (APIs, warehouses, document stores)
• Work with data platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, or Postgres
• Implement caching, indexing, and retrieval strategies for performance and cost optimization
• Build scalable backend services and APIs (Python, FastAPI, Node.js, TypeScript)
• Deploy services using Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Implement CI/CD pipelines and versioning for models, prompts, and workflows
• Manage secrets, auth, and secure system integrations in production environments

Agentic Workflows & Automation

• Design multi-step agent workflows with tool use, memory, and state management
• Implement function calling, tool routing, and structured output handling
• Build systems that combine LLM reasoning with deterministic business logic

Client-Embedded Execution

• Work directly with stakeholders to translate business problems into technical systems
• Iterate rapidly in live environments with real users and feedback loops

What You Bring

• 3–8+ years of software engineering experience
• Strong proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript
• Experience building distributed systems, APIs, and data-intensive applications

AI / LLM Experience

• Hands-on experience with:
• Prompt engineering and evaluation
• RAG architectures and vector search
• LLM orchestration frameworks (LangChain, LangGraph, or similar)
• Understanding of model limitations (hallucinations, latency, cost tradeoffs, context windows)

Data & Infrastructure

• Experience with databases (SQL + NoSQL), data pipelines, and ETL processes
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure and containerized deployments
• Understanding of system performance, observability, and scaling

Builder Mindset

• You operate well in ambiguity and move quickly from idea → implementation
• You care about whether the system actually works in production

Communication

• Able to work directly with non-technical stakeholders
• Can explain system design, tradeoffs, and limitations clearly
• Comfortable operating in client-facing environments

What Sets You Apart

• Experience deploying AI systems in production environments at scale
• Built agent-based systems or internal AI tooling used by real users
• Experience with:
• Embedding models and semantic search
• Evaluation frameworks (human-in-the-loop, automated scoring)
• Background in startups, consulting, or high-ownership environments

Why This Role

• You’ll build systems that are actually used—not prototypes
• You’ll work across the full stack of modern AI systems
• You’ll have ownership over real outcomes, not just tickets
• You’ll operate at the edge of applied AI in production environments