Lead AI Engineer — TCO Agent Platform

EPAM Systems Inc; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

EPAM Systems Inc. in the United States seeks a Lead AI Engineer to drive the next-generation FinOps AI platform with eight autonomous agents across a multi-cloud GCP/AWS environment.

You will lead architecture, governance, and inter-agent workflows while mentoring senior engineers and ensuring compliance with security and SOX-aligned controls.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with 3+ years in technical leadership.
• Experience building multi-agent AI systems or FinOps/LLM platforms.
• Proficiency in Python 3.11+, FastAPI, and Pydantic.
• Experience with Google ADK, Vertex AI, LiteLLM, and Model Armor.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and orchestration of 8 specialized AI agents.
• Oversee inter-agent dependencies, prompt engineering lifecycle, tool definitions, and agent-to-service communication.
• Enforce SOX-adjacent controls and Zero Trust security models across the platform.
• Define governance, prompts, and cost controls for agent execution.

Skills

Python

Leadership

Multi-Agent Systems

GCP Vertex AI

Security & Compliance

Tools

Jira

Slack

Teams

Docker

Terraform

OpenTofu

Kubernetes

Job description

As the **Lead AI Engineer** for our next-generation TCO Agent Platform, you will serve as the technical lead and multi-agent system architect for a greenfield, proactive FinOps AI platform. You will oversee the development, orchestration, and governance of an ecosystem comprising 8 specialized AI agents (e.g., Commitment Optimization, Financial Operations, Resource Optimization, Anomaly Detection) running within a multi-cloud GCP/AWS environment.You will drive core architectural execution, ensure strict adherence to SOX-adjacent financial controls, enforce Zero Trust security models via Model Armor and LiteLLM, and guide the engineering team through building high-scale, autonomous enterprise AI services.Reporting directly to the Technical Product Manager, you will collaborate closely with Solution, Platform, and Enterprise Architects. You will also have a Senior Software Engineer under your direct subordination to collaborate with on solution implementation.Req.#1087619193Responsibilities* Multi-Agent Architecture & Orchestration: Lead the design and implementation of 8 specialized agents using Python, FastMCP, and GCP Workload Identity. Oversee inter-agent dependencies, prompt engineering lifecycle, tool definitions, and agent-to-service communication* LLM Governance & Tokenomics: Enforce centralized LLM routing via LiteLLM Gateway and Vertex AI Model Garden (Claude, Gemini). Implement agent self-governance tracking systems (Tokenomics) to monitor and cap LLM operating costs within strict platform operational limits* Financial & Compliance Guardrails: Architect execution boundaries and strict segregation-of-duties workflows for SOX-adjacent processes (e.g., Journal Entry generation vs. human approval)* System Integration & Action Routing: Oversee the architecture of the platform’s Action Gateway—handling direct API invocations, event-driven workflows, and fallback ticketing (Jira, Slack, Teams)* Technical Leadership & Standards: Set coding, testing, and formatting standards across application repositories. Mentor Senior and Mid-level AI engineers and drive code reviews enforcing RFC standard error formats, API contracts, and schema complianceRequirements* Experience: 8+ years of software engineering experience with 3+ years in a technical leadership capacity building multi-agent AI systems, FinOps tools, or LLM-powered platforms* Frameworks & Languages: Advanced proficiency in Python 3.11+, FastMCP, FastAPI, and Pydantic. Prior experience with object-oriented enterprise languages (e.g., Java) for seamless integration with core platform services and backend APIs* AI/LLM Architecture: Hands-on experience with Google ADK, Vertex AI, LiteLLM Gateway, Model Armor guardrails, prompt engineering, structured tool output parsing, and agent execution boundaries* Data & Cloud Platforms: Deep familiarity with the GCP ecosystem (BigQuery, GKE, Workload Identity), SQL schema design (FOCUS standard preferred), and partitioned/clustered OLAP architectures* Security & Governance: Experience implementing Zero Trust authentication (OAuth/KSA-to-GSA), RBAC, immutable audit logging, and API/MCP error specifications (RFC 7807/9457)* DevOps & Infrastructure: Proficiency with Docker builds, GKE deployment patterns, OpenTofu/Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines* Leadership Skills: Proven ability to coach, mentor, and influence teams beyond just writing and implementing solutionsNice to have* Experience with LangGraph / LangChain* Hands-on experience with Vertex AI* Working knowledge of modern DevOps and CI/CD practices* Familiarity with GCP infrastructure resources and their constraints, with the ability to identify optimal resources for designed AI agentic solutionsWe offer/Benefits* Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance (Subsidized)* Health Savings Account* Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter)* Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (Company Provided)* Life and AD&D Insurance (Company Provided)* Employee Assistance Program* Unlimited access to LinkedIn learning solutions* Matched 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan* Paid Time Off – the employee will be eligible to accrue 15-25 paid days, depending on specific level and tenure with EPAM (accrual eligibility may change over time)* Paid Holidays - nine (9) total per year* Legal Plan and Identity Theft Protection* Accident Insurance* Employee Discounts* Pet Insurance* Employee Stock Purchase Program* If otherwise eligible, participation in the discretionary annual bonus program* If otherwise eligible and hired into a qualifying level, participation in the discretionary Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Program**This Remote Position Cannot be Performed in New York City.**EPAM 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: $150,000 - $200,000. 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)EPAM will not provide new H-1B visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates with existing transferable H-1B status may be considered.It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.Why Choose Us2023Most Loved Workplace2024Best Place to Work 20242024Sitecore’s Partner Experience Awards**Affirmative Action Obligations as a U.S. Government Federal Contractor**As a U.S. federal government contractor, EPAM is committed to meet its affirmative action obligations to make good faith efforts to expand the recruiting pool of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans through outreach, targeted recruitment, training opportunities and other activities. We affirm this commitment annually in EPAM’s Affirmative Action Plans. The full text of our Affirmative Action Plan for Persons with a Disability and Protected Veterans is available for inspection in the People Operations Department during normal business hours. Email the People Operations Department to schedule an appointment.**Equal Employment Opportunity**EPAM Systems, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. 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. 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.**Accessibility for Applicants with Disabilities**EPAM is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require an accommodation at any stage of the employment application process, please send an email to the People Operations Department including your name, a detailed description of your requested accommodation, and the best method to contact you. If you have already reviewed a job posting or submitted an application for a job, please include the requisition number. We will assist you and make a determination on your accommodation request on a case-by-case basis.