Lead AI Engineer

About the Position

Lead AI Engineer · Hybrid · Zagreb, Croatia

We are seeking a Lead AI Engineer to spearhead the design and development of cutting-edge AI solutions, leveraging the latest advancements in generative AI and LLM technologies to deliver seamless and scalable applications for our clients.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain end-to-end AI applications, including chatbots, Q&A platforms, and agent workflows
• Collaborate directly with clients to understand their needs, identify opportunities, and recommend LLM-driven solutions
• Develop and manage robust data pipelines, prompt strategies, and datasets to ensure effective and accurate AI models
• Evaluate and refine AI system performance, ensuring outputs are accurate, secure, scalable, and compliant with industry regulations
• Conduct research and rapid prototyping to validate technical feasibility and demonstrate the business value of AI solutions
• Stay current with evolving LLM technologies, frameworks, and methodologies to continuously improve solutions and client outcomes

Requirements

• Strong proficiency in Python, experience with web frameworks like FastAPI or similar
• Understanding of the AI application development lifecycle
• Experience with rapid UI prototyping using Streamlit, Gradio, or similar frameworks
• Familiarity with major LLM platforms and APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon Bedrock, Gemini) and related frameworks (LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Strands Agents, etc.)
• Knowledge of advanced AI integration patterns (e.g., RAG, Agents)
• Experience deploying AI solutions at scale, with considerations for performance, cost-efficiency, and maintainability
• Proven ability to evaluate generative AI quality using metrics such as retrieval and classification scores, as well as LLM-based evaluation methods
• Proven experience in AI engineering and delivering ML-based solutions
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills

Nice to Have

• Experience designing experiments, conducting A/B tests, and iterating on models based on user feedback
• Understanding of retrieval systems (keyword search, vector search, embeddings) and ranking algorithms
• Familiarity with emerging protocols such as MCP, A2A, ACP, etc.
• Experience deploying to cloud AI platforms (Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, GCP Vertex AI) or on-premise solutions (e.g., vLLM)
• Experience with enterprise AI platforms such as AWS AgentCore, Databricks AgentBricks, Google Agents Space, or Azure AI Foundry
• Experience with observability and monitoring tools and frameworks

We Offer

We believe that the greatest strength of the company is its people. EPAM is fully committed to helping its employees reach their full potential and achieve their professional goals through continuous learning. With this in mind, we would like to introduce you to some of the many opportunities and services which we believe will help you expand your current knowledge:

• Career development opportunities with a transparent career path
• Wide range of professional trainings, workshops, and mentoring programs plus unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning
• Learning resources and financial support for completing certification programs
• Christmas and Vacation bonus
• Corporate Health Insurance (basic and supplementary)
• Free yearly medical check-ups
• 25 days of vacation

About the Company

At EPAM, we are dedicated to empowering our employees to grow and succeed in their careers. Our commitment to continuous learning and professional development ensures that our team members have the tools and resources they need to excel in their roles and achieve their professional aspirations.