AI Engineering Manager

About the Position

We are seeking a hands-on AI Engineering Manager to lead a high-performance team of AI and machine learning engineers in designing, developing, and deploying innovative AI-powered products and platforms. This role blends deep technical expertise with strategic leadership, requiring the manager to guide teams in building advanced AI solutions while personally contributing to architecture and system design. The manager will play a key role in shaping the AI strategy and mentoring engineering talent.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical authority for the AI engineering team, guiding architecture, design, and implementation of scalable, reliable, and secure AI systems.
• Dedicate significant time to hands-on development, including coding, code reviews, and architecting complex systems.
• Drive modernization of legacy systems by integrating AI capabilities such as RAG systems, code generation, and multi-agent workflows.
• Oversee the entire AI project lifecycle, from conception and experimentation to production deployment and optimization.
• Establish and enforce best practices for the software development lifecycle, including agile methodologies, CI/CD, and automated testing.
• Collaborate with executive leadership and product management to define AI strategy and roadmap, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Make critical build-vs-buy decisions regarding AI tools and platforms.
• Manage departmental budgets, resource allocation, and vendor relationships.
• Communicate technical concepts, project progress, and risks to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of AI engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, and career development of engineering talent.

Requirements

• 13-15 years of experience in software engineering, with a significant portion dedicated to AI, machine learning, or data science.
• 5-8 years of experience in a leadership or management role, leading high-performing engineering teams.
• Extensive hands-on expertise in Python, Java, or C++.
• Deep expertise in machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and generative AI.
• Proven experience designing and building scalable AI infrastructure and MLOps/LLMOps pipelines on cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Strong background in system design, microservices architecture, and API development.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (PhD is a plus).

Nice to Have

• Experience in a "player-coach" role, with a desire to stay hands-on with technology.
• Track record of delivering large-scale, complex AI projects from start to finish.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

We Offer

• Opportunity to work on technical challenges that may impact across geographies.
• Vast opportunities for self-development: online university, knowledge sharing opportunities globally, learning opportunities through external certifications.
• Opportunity to share your ideas on international platforms.
• Sponsored Tech Talks & Hackathons.
• Unlimited access to LinkedIn learning solutions.
• Possibility to relocate to any EPAM office for short and long-term projects.
• Focused individual development.
• Benefit package:
  • Health benefits.
  • Retirement benefits.
  • Paid time off.
  • Flexible benefits.
• Forums to explore beyond work passion (CSR, photography, painting, sports, etc.).

About the Company

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