Senior AI Engineer / Agent Development Lead

Acosta Sales & Marketing; Oak Brook (IL); On-site; USD 105,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Acosta Group seeks a Senior AI Engineer / Agent Development Lead to expand hands-on AI capabilities, build reusable AI components, and deploy agentic workflows across priority enterprise programs.

You will collaborate with AI Architecture and AI Solutions Delivery leadership to enable scalable, responsible AI while guiding internal teams and partners. Strong governance and integration focus are essential.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of hands-on software/AI/automation or related enterprise engineering experience.
• 3+ years building AI-enabled apps, copilots, RAG workflows, APIs, or intelligent workflows.
• Strong programming, scripting, API, integration, testing, debugging and deployment skills.
• Familiarity with GenAI, LLMs, prompts, retrieval, embeddings, tool orchestration, and guardrails.
• Hands-on experience designing agentic workflow solutions with planning, tool use, and monitoring.
• Knowledge of enterprise AI platforms and orchestration frameworks.
• Experience with cloud, data platforms, low-code/no-code, automation and collaboration tools.
• Ability to translate business needs into working, well-documented solutions.
• Strong problem-solving in fast-moving AI delivery environments.
• Effective communication with engineers, architects, analysts, and delivery partners.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and support AI agents, copilots, RAG workflows, automations, APIs, and reusable components.
• Develop AI solutions using approved enterprise platforms, standards, and governance.
• Partner with leaders and stakeholders to implement priority use cases.
• Create reusable components and patterns for speed, security, and maintainability.
• Move from prototype to production with testing, deployment, monitoring, and handoff.
• Integrate AI with enterprise data sources, apps, APIs, and knowledge bases.
• Apply responsible AI, data handling, access controls, and auditability.
• Troubleshoot agent behavior, workflow errors, and performance concerns.
• Share guidance and examples with internal teams and partners.
• Stay current on GenAI, orchestration, evaluation, and enterprise practices.
• Support cross-functional teams with documentation and technical guidance.

Skills

Programming

Scripting

APIs

Integrations

Testing

Debugging

Deployment

Communication

Tools

Copilot Studio

Azure AI Foundry

Semantic Kernel

LangChain

LlamaIndex

OpenAI Agents SDK

LangGraph

AutoGen

CrewAI

Job description

DESCRIPTION

The Senior AI Engineer / Agent Development Lead will expand Acosta Group’s hands‑on engineering capacity for AI agents, copilots, workflow automations, integrations, reusable components, and deployment support. This role will work under the direction of AI Architecture and AI Solutions Delivery leadership to build high-quality, reusable AI capabilities that support priority enterprise programs and BU/function use cases.

The role supports the AI CoE operating model of central guardrails, federated execution, and portfolio-driven scaling by enabling parallel delivery, reducing bottlenecks, strengthening internal AI engineering capability, and helping Acosta Group scale agentic AI and workflow automation responsibly.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design, build, test, and support AI agents, copilots, RAG workflows, automations, integrations, APIs, prompts, evaluation assets, and reusable AI components.

• Develop AI agent and workflow solutions using approved enterprise platforms, standards, templates, and governance requirements.

• Partner with the AI Solutions Delivery Lead, AI Architecture leader, Data, Technology, Cyber, and business stakeholders to implement priority use cases.

• Create reusable components and development patterns that improve speed, consistency, security, and maintainability across AI initiatives.

• Support movement from prototype to production by contributing to testing, deployment, monitoring, documentation, release management, and operational handoff.

• Integrate AI solutions with enterprise data sources, applications, collaboration tools, workflow systems, APIs, and knowledge repositories where approved.

• Apply responsible AI and security requirements, including data handling, access controls, human-in-the-loop design, auditability, and appropriate use.

• Troubleshoot agent behavior, workflow errors, prompt quality, retrieval issues, integration failures, and performance concerns.

• Support internal teams, citizen developers, analysts, and delivery partners by sharing technical guidance, patterns, and working examples.

• Stay current on emerging GenAI, agentic AI, orchestration, evaluation, and enterprise AI engineering practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7 or more years of hands‑on software engineering, AI engineering, automation engineering, data engineering, cloud engineering, or enterprise application development experience.

• 3 or more years building AI-enabled applications, automation workflows, agentic AI solutions, copilots, RAG solutions, ML-enabled systems, APIs, enterprise integrations, or intelligent workflow orchestration capabilities.

• Strong programming, scripting, API, integration, testing, debugging, and deployment skills.

• Practical familiarity with GenAI, LLMs, prompt engineering, retrieval, embeddings, agent orchestration, tool/function calling, multi‑step reasoning, evaluation, monitoring, and responsible AI guardrails.

• Hands‑on experience designing agentic workflow solutions that combine planning, reasoning, tool use, enterprise data access, APIs, human-in-the-loop controls, exception handling, and operational monitoring.

• Familiarity with popular agentic AI technology solutions and frameworks such as Microsoft Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, Semantic Kernel, AutoGen, LangGraph, LangChain, CrewAI, LlamaIndex, OpenAI Agents SDK, or comparable enterprise agent orchestration platforms.

• Experience working with cloud platforms, enterprise applications, data platforms, low-code/no-code platforms, automation tools, or collaboration platforms.

• Ability to translate business requirements into working technical solutions with appropriate documentation and supportability.

• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-moving AI delivery environments.

• Effective communication skills with engineers, architects, analysts, business users, and delivery partners. Work Environment and Physical Requirements The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Job may require moderate physical effort including lifting materials and equipment weighing less than 15 pounds. This position involves viewing a computer monitor for more than 30% of the time. Personal protective equipment may need to be worn. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ABOUT US

Acosta Group is a collective uniting the most trusted retail, marketing, and foodservice agencies—Acosta, ActionLink, CORE Foodservice, CROSSMARK, Mosaic, Premium Retail Services, and Product Connections. Together, we connect consumers with the brands they love through omnichannel selling, merchandising, brand advocacy, and integrated marketing.

We recognize our associates are the foundation of our success. That’s why we prioritize your growth, development, and well-life balance to help you reach your full potential. With programs designed to support a fulfilling work-life balance, we offer opportunities that fit your lifestyle and ambitions—whether you’re looking for part-time flexibility or full-time career advancement.

Ready for a career path that’s as unique as you? Discover your path at Acosta Group!

Acosta Group is an equal opportunity employer and will ensure that applicants with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact [e-mail]. Be sure to include "Applicant Accommodation" in the subject of your email to expedite the request.

Acosta Group believes in good faith that the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly compensation range for this opportunity is accurate and reasonable at the time of posting.

The Acosta Group utilizes E-Verify for validating the ability to work in the United States for all job candidates. If you want more information on what this entails and your rights as a job applicant, please use the link provided to access information on our use of E-Verify and your right to work. Employer Resources (e-verify.gov)

Acosta, and its subsidiaries, is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Salary Range: $105000.00 - $140000.00