Lead AI Engineer — TCO Agent Platform

EPAM Systems, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance (

Health Savings Account

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Paid Time Off

Job summary

EPAM Systems, Inc. seeks a Lead AI Engineer to architect and govern a greenfield FinOps AI platform with 8 specialized agents in a GCP/AWS multi-cloud environment. You’ll lead architecture, governance, and security while mentoring engineers and coordinating with Solution, Platform, and Enterprise Architects.

You will drive zero-trust security, SOX-adjacent controls, and cost-aware LLM operations, reporting to the Technical Product Manager.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with 3+ years in a technical leadership capacity.
• Hands-on with Google ADK, Vertex AI, LiteLLM Gateway, and guardrails.
• Experience building multi-agent AI systems and FinOps tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and orchestration of 8 specialized AI agents in a multi-cloud environment.
• Enforce LLM governance, tokenomics, and cost controls.
• Oversee system integration, action routing, and security governance.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Python 3.11+

FastMCP

FastAPI

Pydantic

Google ADK

Vertex AI

LiteLLM Gateway

Model Armor

GKE

BigQuery

Workload Identity

Jira

Slack

Teams

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.#1087619193ResponsibilitiesMulti-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 communicationLLM 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 limitsFinancial & 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 complianceRequirementsExperience: 8+ years of software engineering experience with 3+ years in a technical leadership capacity building multi-agent AI systems, FinOps tools, or LLM-powered platformsFrameworks & 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 APIsAI/LLM Architecture: Hands-on experience with Google ADK, Vertex AI, LiteLLM Gateway, Model Armor guardrails, prompt engineering, structured tool output parsing, and agent execution boundariesData & Cloud Platforms: Deep familiarity with the GCP ecosystem (BigQuery, GKE, Workload Identity), SQL schema design (FOCUS standard preferred), and partitioned/clustered OLAP architecturesSecurity & 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 pipelinesLeadership Skills: Proven ability to coach, mentor, and influence teams beyond just writing and implementing solutionsNice to haveExperience with LangGraph / LangChainHands-on experience with Vertex AIWorking knowledge of modern DevOps and CI/CD practicesFamiliarity with GCP infrastructure resources and their constraints, with the ability to identify optimal resources for designed AI agentic solutionsWe 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 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 yearLegal Plan and Identity Theft ProtectionAccident InsuranceEmployee DiscountsPet InsuranceEmployee Stock Purchase ProgramIf otherwise eligible, participation in the discretionary annual bonus programIf otherwise eligible and hired into a qualifying level, participation in the discretionary Long-Term Incentive (LTI) ProgramFor remote work in New York City only.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.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.