Lead AI Engineer
Описание вакансии
We are searching for a skilled, innovation-driven Lead AI Engineer to join our team and spearhead the development of cutting-edge Generative AI solutions. If you're passionate about artificial intelligence and adept at building systems that deliver measurable business impact, this opportunity is ideal for you. You will work with a dynamic group of professionals to create and deploy AI-driven technologies that tackle real-world challenges — all within a highly collaborative, supportive, and forward-focused environment.
As a technical leader, you won't just write code; you will shape our AI technical roadmap, architect complex enterprise-grade systems, act as a trusted advisor to our clients, and mentor and grow a high-performing engineering team.
If you love Python, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and driving innovation at the intersection of AI strategy and software craftsmanship, we want to hear from you!
Responsibilities:
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Drive technical vision and architecture by leading the design and implementation of highly scalable, robust enterprise AI applications, including complex multi-agent workflows, custom search engines, and end-to-end AI systems
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Partner closely with clients and business stakeholders to translate business goals into technical roadmaps and recommend high-impact, feasible LLM-driven solutions
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Establish engineering standards by setting the benchmark for code quality, architectural patterns, robust data pipelines, smart prompt management, and automated evaluation frameworks
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Foster a culture of learning and high performance through design reviews, development best practices, and active mentorship of junior and senior developers
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Direct R&D and innovation by guiding research on emerging models, framing prototyping strategies (PoCs), and standardizing the tools and frameworks used to stay on the bleeding edge of Generative AI
Requirements:
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5+ years of experience in a Lead, Principal, or Senior AI/Software Engineering role, with a track record of architecting and shipping complex, production-grade AI or ML-based solutions
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At least 1 year of relevant leadership experience
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Master-level proficiency in Python (specifically FastAPI or equivalent web frameworks) and a strong foundation in core NLP concepts (semantic similarity, tokenization, NER, text classification)
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Expertise in modern Generative AI design patterns, particularly RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), autonomous multi-agent networks, and tool integration
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Production experience with major LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Bedrock, Gemini) and framework orchestration tools such as LangGraph or LlamaIndex
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Background in optimizing AI applications for performance, security (prompt injection mitigation, data privacy), cloud costs, and system evaluation using programmatic or LLM-as-a-judge approaches
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Capability to quickly direct and build intuitive UI/UX prototypes using Streamlit, Gradio, or equivalent
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Outstanding leadership and communication skills to lead engineering discussions, bridge the gap between technical and non-technical audiences, and present technical architectures to executives and clients
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Strong English communication skills (B2 level or higher)
Conditions:
- Enjoyable working environment, whether it is the vibrant office or the comfort of your own home
- Opportunity to work abroad for up to two months per year
- Relocation opportunities within our offices in 55+ countries
- Corporate and social events
- Leadership development, career advising, soft skills and well-being programs
- Certifications, including GCP, Azure and AWS
- Unlimited access to EPAM's internal learning database
- Free English classes with certified teachers
- Discounts in local language schools, including online courses for the Kazakh language
- Medical & family care package
- Six trust days per year (sick leave without a medical certificate)
- Benefits package (sports activities, a variety of stores and services)
- Housing support program: preferential mortgage access via Otbasy Bank partnership