Senior Backend Developer, AI Pods

EPAM Systems, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Paid time off and sick leave

Upskilling, reskilling and certificate

Job summary

EPAM Systems, Inc. is seeking a Senior Backend Developer to join its AI Pods team, building robust AI-powered API services and agentic workflows. You will design and operate backend services, orchestrate LLMs, and implement resilient RAG pipelines.

Collaborate with frontend, data, and infra teams to ensure security, observability, and scalable systems while advancing architectural standards across the pod.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of backend engineering experience, focused on microservices and distributed systems.
• Proficiency in Python for high-performance backend services and cloud-native APIs.
• Familiarity with AWS, Docker, and ECS/EKS
• English proficiency at B2 level or higher.

Responsibilities

• Design and build backend API services and LLM orchestration layers.
• Own API contracts and service reliability end-to-end, ensuring AI edge cases fail gracefully.
• Integrate LLMs using rigorous systems engineering, bake in evaluation, observability, fallback handling, and cost awareness.
• Implement and maintain complex RAG pipelines, including document ingestion, chunking, embedding, and retrieval optimization.
• Develop and connect agent tools using LangChain, LangGraph, and potentially MCP.
• Build reliable, reusable orchestration frameworks and logic for downstream developer consumption.
• Ensure security, privacy, enterprise-grade observability, and test coverage across all backend workflows.
• Collaborate with frontend engineers, data engineers, and infrastructure teams and contribute to architecture decisions and standards.

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Backend Developer to join our AI Pods team, building robust AI-powered API services and agentic workflows. This role focuses on language model interaction with internal systems, vector databases, and external tools via orchestration frameworks, treating LLMs as components in a secure, scalable distributed system.ResponsibilitiesDesign and build backend API services and LLM orchestration layersOwn API contracts and service reliability end-to-end, ensuring AI edge cases fail gracefullyIntegrate LLMs using rigorous systems engineering, bake in evaluation, observability, fallback handling, and cost awarenessImplement and maintain complex RAG pipelines, including document ingestion, chunking, embedding, and retrieval optimizationDevelop and connect agent tools using LangChain, LangGraph, and potentially MCP (Model Context Protocol)Build reliable, reusable orchestration frameworks and logic for downstream developer consumptionEnsure security, privacy, enterprise-grade observability, and test coverage across all backend workflowsContribute to architecture decisions and engineering standards within the podCollaborate with frontend engineers, data engineers, and infrastructure teamsRequirements3+ years of backend engineering experience, focused on microservices and distributed systemsProficiency in Python for high-performance backend services and cloud-native APIsFamiliarity with AWS, Docker, and ECS/EKSKnowledge of RESTful APIsUnderstanding of secure coding practices and strong auth/authz fundamentalsEnglish proficiency at B2 level or higherNice to have1+ years of hands-on experience with AI SDKs (OpenAI, Anthropic/Claude, AWS Bedrock, or equivalent) in productionPractical experience with vector databases (Amazon Kendra, OpenSearch), embedding strategies, and retrieval systemsHands-on experience with LangChain, LlamaIndex, or LangGraphFamiliarity with AI evaluation tooling or real-time APM (LangSmith, Langfuse, Arize)Skills in React and TypeScriptExperience deploying to EKS environments at scaleUnderstanding of agent interoperability patterns (MCP)Knowledge of identity/security domain (IAM, CIAM)Flexibility to use secondary languages such as Java, Node.js, or GoWe offerInternational projects with top brandsWork with global teams of highly skilled, diverse peersHealthcare benefitsEmployee financial programsPaid time off and sick leaveUpskilling, reskilling and certification coursesUnlimited access to the LinkedIn Learning library and 22,000+ coursesGlobal career opportunitiesVolunteer and community involvement opportunitiesEPAM Employee GroupsAward-winning culture recognized by Glassdoor, Newsweek and LinkedIn