Forward Deployed Engineer – AI

IBM; Raleigh (NC); Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Consulting seeks a Forward Deployed Engineer – AI to transform client challenges into production-ready AI solutions. You will blend software engineering, data science, GenAI, agentic AI, and advanced analytics to rapidly prototype, deploy, and scale impactful AI applications across industries.

Lead end-to-end GenAI and RAG deployments, design LLM-powered agents, and ensure production readiness with MLOps, observability, and governance. This role can be performed from anywhere in the US.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience delivering production AI solutions.
• Strong Python and SQL skills with GenAI and agentic AI apps.
• Hands-on experience with LLMs, RAG, multi-step workflows (LangChain/LangGraph/CrewAI).
• Experience building GenAI apps with embeddings, vector databases (Milvus, Elasticsearch, pgvector, Pinecone).
• Experience designing agentic AI workflows and tool orchestration (LangChain/LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen).
• Experience with scikit-learn, PyTorch, Pandas, or Spark.
• Experience deploying AI solutions via REST/FastAPI, cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/Google), and Git/Docker/Kubernetes.
• Ability to translate business needs into technical solutions and communicate to mixed audiences.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with clients to turn complex challenges into production AI solutions.
• Build end-to-end GenAI, RAG, and agentic AI apps using LangGraph, CrewAI, and hyperscaler platforms.
• Design LLM-powered agents with tool use, orchestration, prompts, and evaluation frameworks.
• Prepare structured/unstructured data and integrate AI with enterprise systems and APIs.
• Apply MLOps/LLMOps, monitoring, and responsible AI practices for production readiness.
• Present insights, demonstrate outcomes, and enable client adoption and reuse.

Skills

AI/ML

Python

SQL

GenAI

LangGraph

CrewAI

LLMs

RAG

Agentic AI

MLOps

LLMOps

Kubernetes

Docker

REST/FastAPI

Cloud platforms

Communication

Client-facing

Data processing

Spark

PyTorch

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Data Science

Master’s degree or PhD (preferred)

Tools

LangChain

LangGraph

CrewAI

Vertex AI

Azure AI Foundry

AWS Bedrock

Git

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Introduction

A career in IBM Consulting is built on long-term client relationships and close collaboration worldwide. You’ll work with leading companies across industries, helping them shape their hybrid cloud and AI journeys. With support from our strategic partners, robust IBM technology, and Red Hat, you’ll have the tools to drive meaningful change and accelerate client impact. At IBM Consulting, curiosity fuels success. You’ll be encouraged to challenge the norm, explore new ideas, and create innovative solutions that deliver real results. Our culture of growth and empathy focuses on your long-term career development while valuing your unique skills and experiences.

A career in IBM Consulting is built on long-term client relationships and close collaboration worldwide. You’ll work with leading companies across industries, helping them shape their hybrid cloud and AI journeys. With support from our strategic partners, robust IBM technology, and Red Hat, you’ll have the tools to drive meaningful change and accelerate client impact. At IBM Consulting, curiosity fuels success. You’ll be encouraged to challenge the norm, explore new ideas, and create innovative solutions that deliver real results. Our culture of growth and empathy focuses on your long-term career development while valuing your unique skills and experiences.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As a Forward Deployed Engineer – AI, you will work directly with clients to transform complex business challenges into production-ready AI solutions. Combining software engineering, data science, GenAI, agentic AI, and advanced analytics, you will rapidly prototype, deploy, and scale solutions that deliver measurable business value.

Your Primary Responsibilities Will Include

• Solve Client Challenges: Partner with business and technical teams to identify opportunities, define AI use cases, and establish success metrics.
• Build and Deploy AI Solutions: Develop end-to-end GenAI, RAG, and agentic AI applications using tools such as LangGraph, CrewAI, and hyperscaler cloud AI platforms (e.g., AWS, Google, Azure).
• Engineer Agentic and GenAI Systems: Design and implement LLM-powered agents, tool use and orchestration, prompt and context engineering, and evaluation frameworks using platforms such as LangGraph, CrewAI, Vertex AI, Azure AI Foundry, or Amazon Bedrock. Apply guardrails, observability, and testing to ensure accuracy, safety, and reliability.
• Data Engineering and Integrations: Prepare structured and unstructured data and integrate AI solutions with enterprise systems, APIs, and data platforms.
• Scale and Operationalize AI: Apply MLOps/LLMOps, testing, monitoring, and responsible AI practices to ensure solutions are reliable, secure, and production-ready.
• Drive Business Impact: Present insights, demonstrate outcomes, support client adoption, and turn successful solutions into reusable assets for future engagements.

This job can be performed from anywhere in the US.

Preferred Education

Master's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• 5+ years of experience in AI/ML, data science, or software engineering, delivering production AI solutions.
• Strong Python and SQL skills, with hands‑on experience building GenAI and agentic AI applications, including LLMs, RAG, and multi‑step workflows using tools such as LangChain, LangGraph, or CrewAI.
• Hands‑on experience building GenAI applications with large language models, including RAG, prompt and context engineering, embeddings and vector databases (e.g., Milvus, Elasticsearch, pgvector, Pinecone), and LLM evaluation.
• Experience designing and building agentic AI workflows using frameworks such as LangChain/LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, including tool calling and multi‑step orchestration.
• Experience with machine learning and data processing using tools such as scikit‑learn, PyTorch, Pandas, or Spark.
• Experience integrating and deploying AI solutions using APIs (REST/FastAPI), cloud AI platforms (AWS Bedrock, Azure AI, or Google Vertex AI), and tools such as Git, Docker, or Kubernetes.
• Experience with at least one major cloud AI platform (AWS Bedrock, Azure AI Foundry, or Google Vertex AI).
• Strong client‑facing skills, with the ability to translate business challenges into technical solutions and communicate with technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Demonstrable ability to deploy solutions to production for critical business areas
• Ability to understand business needs and drive technical solutions
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related field.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Master’s or PhD in a technical or quantitative field.
• Experience with LLM fine‑tuning, AI evaluation and governance,
• Industry experience in high tech, electronics or manufacturing.
• Background in forward deployed engineering, solutions engineering, or client‑facing consulting.
• Front‑end development experience (e.g., React or Streamlit), cloud/AI certifications, or open‑source AI contributions.