Lead Forward Deployed Engineer

We are seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to embed with enterprise clients, uncover their highest-value problems, and resolve them with production-ready AI solutions. You will take ownership of each problem end to end: technical discovery, feasibility, architecture, build, deployment, and the measurable business outcome. You will operate on the client side, learn the client's business in depth, and re-engineer its processes around AI on top of the platforms, data, and systems the client already runs.

This position blends hands-on AI and full-stack engineering, solution architecture, and technical consulting. You will engage with AI models, agent frameworks, data and retrieval systems, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise integrations, applying AI coding agents and agentic engineering practices to deliver rapidly. Based on the engagement, your focus will lean toward one of three specializations: Partner Platform Expert, building on one AI partner's platform such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini and Vertex AI, AWS Bedrock, or Microsoft Foundry; SDLC and AI Software Factory Expert, making client engineering teams measurably faster with harnesses and AI software factories; or AI Technical Solutions Expert, converting client use cases into production AI systems on the client's existing platforms. Success is judged by outcomes the client can see and sustain, not by features shipped or hours billed.

Responsibilities

• Embed with client business and technical teams to pinpoint high-value problems and own them end to end, from discovery and specification through architecture, build, production, and monitoring
• Map actual business processes, including their exceptions, and determine which steps to automate, which to keep with a human in the loop, and which to leave to people
• Evaluate feasibility and recommend the most suitable approach, whether agentic AI, deterministic workflows, traditional machine learning, or no AI at all
• Design end-to-end solution architectures spanning models, orchestration, data and retrieval, enterprise integrations, identity, security, observability, and cost
• Personally build, test, and ship production-grade, full-stack AI applications on clients' existing cloud and AI platforms
• Implement agent workflows, retrieval systems, tool integrations, evaluation frameworks, guardrails, monitoring, and human-in-the-loop controls
• Apply AI coding agents and agentic engineering practices to speed up delivery, and review AI-generated code with the same rigor as human-written code
• Build on shared platforms and reusable components rather than from scratch, and decide what stays specific to a client and what should be generalized for future engagements
• Define acceptance criteria, measure technical performance and business outcomes, and report results honestly, including when they fall short
• Lead technical workshops, architecture reviews, proofs of value, and solution demonstrations for client engineers, architects, business owners, and executives
• Convey technical trade-offs, feasibility assessments, risks, and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Produce technical documentation, runbooks, training, and handover so client teams can operate and extend the solutions independently
• Establish engineering best practices within the engagement, mentor other engineers, and drive AI-native adoption
• Share client context across the team so no single person becomes a point of failure, and stay current with a rapidly evolving AI toolset

Requirements

• Senior-level background in software engineering, with a proven track record of building and operating production-grade software, including AI solutions, in enterprise environments
• Hands-on expertise in agentic AI, LLM application development, prompt and context engineering, tool calling, orchestration, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and AI evaluation
• Daily hands-on proficiency in AI coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex, or GitHub Copilot, with the judgment to review and correct the code they generate
• Strong skills in backend development in at least one of Python, Java, or Node.js, including API design, microservices, and SQL and NoSQL data stores, plus sufficient modern frontend skills (for example React and TypeScript) to deliver usable end-to-end solutions
• Practical competency in at least one major cloud (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud), containers and Kubernetes, infrastructure as code (Terraform or Bicep), CI/CD, and observability
• Showcase of designing or contributing to end-to-end solution architecture, including system integration, data flows, security, scalability, resilience, and cost, with decisions documented and defended with client architects
• Proficiency in at least one major AI platform or ecosystem, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Vertex AI, AWS Bedrock, or Microsoft Foundry, with the capability to work across different technology stacks
• Background in integrating AI applications with enterprise systems, databases, APIs, and systems of record such as SAP, Salesforce, ServiceNow, or Microsoft Dynamics
• Understanding of production AI requirements, including identity and access management, data governance, observability, guardrails, human oversight, failure handling, and running cost
• Capability to take a loosely defined problem to a production implementation with minimal direction, and to decide what to build and why, not only how
• Experience in working directly with clients, conducting technical discovery and process mapping with the people who run the work, facilitating workshops, presenting architecture decisions, and managing stakeholder expectations up to executive level
• Strong analytical, consulting, and communication skills, with the capability to explain technical concepts and trade-offs in clear business terms, including when a requirement is infeasible or the wrong approach
• Qualifications in preparing technical documentation and delivering training or handover to client engineering and IT teams
• Practical knowledge of at least one business domain, such as financial services, healthcare, insurance, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, logistics, or the public sector, including relevant regulatory and compliance requirements
• English proficiency at B2 level or higher

Nice to have

Active partner certifications from Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI are considered an advantage, and EPAM supports engineers in earning and renewing them

We offer

With us you can:

• Work on a flexible schedule remotely or from any of our comfortable offices or coworking spaces in Ukraine
• Receive the necessary equipment to perform your work tasks
• Change projects and technology stacks within EPAM
• Gain experience in various business domains (Insurance, E-commerce, Healthcare, Finance, Travelling, Media, Artificial Intelligence, and more)
• Relocation opportunities may be available for eligible candidates, depending on the role and openings at other EPAM locations
• Participate in volunteer, charity programs and communities (both technical and interest-based)

We focus on your professional growth:

• You can plan your individual career path together with your manager
• Receive regular feedback from colleagues
• Improve your English for free with certified teachers (Speaking Clubs, client interview preparation courses, etc.)
• Get the opportunity to undergo free training and certification in AWS, GCP, or Azure Clouds
• Use the internal E-learn training program (18,200+ specialized training and mentoring programs)
• Access corporate accounts on LinkedIn Learning, Get Abstract and other partner resources
• Study at EPAM Solution Architecture School with the instructors who are practicing architects
• Develop as a leader, join Delivery Management, Resource Management, Leadership Essentials school and more
• Participate in internal communities (500+ meetups, technical discussions, brainstorming sessions, online events and conferences annually)

What we offer:

• Vacation and sick leave (including a sick leave without a medical certificate)
• A wide range of Voluntary Medical Insurance programs providing both medical treatment and various preventive options (including sports activities)
• Medical insurance for family members at corporate rates
• Company support during significant life events (childbirth or adoption, marriage, etc.)
• Support for psychological comfort: discounts on services from mental health specialists or coaches, thematic training
• E-kids program - a free programming language training program for EPAMers' children

Kindly note that this role supports remote work, but only from within Ukraine.

Kindly be advised that the set of benefits, including learning, certification, and other opportunities, may vary depending on the role you apply for. Our recruiter will be able to share more details about the specific opportunity during your general interview.

EPAM strives to provide its global team of over 62,350 professionals in more than 55 countries with opportunities for professional growth from day one of collaboration. Our colleagues are the source of EPAM's success, so we value cooperation, strive to always understand our clients' business and aim for the highest quality standards. No matter where you are, you will join a dedicated, diverse community that will help you realize your potential to the fullest.

Remote in Ukraine