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About This Role
Our Business Technology organization builds secure and intelligent internal platforms that power our global workforce. As a Lead Software Engineer, Applied AI (Frontend Leading), you will build intuitive, performant user interfaces and frontend integration libraries that make Generative AI (GenAI) and intelligent automation accessible and useful across IT, HR, Finance, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Support.
In this role, you will bridge the gap between complex LLM orchestration and enterprise user experience, ensuring our internal teams can seamlessly adopt and trust AI-driven tools.
Req.#1090018301
Responsibilities
- Design and build end-to-end GenAI-powered applications, emphasizing intuitive web-based UIs and performant client-side API integrations
- Develop responsive, accessible frontend interfaces using React, TypeScript, or Vue, engineered for streaming responses and low latency
- Build and maintain a library of reusable frontend components, hooks, and design systems for enterprise GenAI applications
- Implement LLM-based experiences using frameworks like LangChain or LlamaIndex with leading model providers (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, etc.)
- Collaborate closely with designers and product managers to iterate rapidly on novel AI UX patterns (chat assistants, prompt builders, feedback loops)
- Ensure top-tier security, accessibility (a11y), observability, and test coverage across client-side and full-stack implementations
Requirements
- Frontend Mastery: 5+ years of production experience with React, TypeScript, or Vue for enterprise web applications
- Engineering Seniority: 5–8 years of software engineering experience across the full web stack (frontend UIs, REST APIs, microservices)
- AI Application Integration: 2+ years of experience integrating GenAI features, LLM APIs, and prompt UI patterns into web applications
- Python & Cloud Services: Strong Python backend development skills and 2+ years of experience consuming/building cloud microservices on AWS, Docker, and REST APIs
- Component Libraries: Proven experience building, documenting, and maintaining reusable component libraries, design systems, and custom hooks
Nice to have
- Conversational UX & Streaming: Real-time streaming UX patterns (SSE/WebSockets), prompt builders, citations, and summary UI components
- Web Accessibility (a11y): Deep knowledge of WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and accessible UI component architecture
- LangChain for JavaScript: Client-side or Node.js LangChain, LangGraph, or LlamaIndex orchestration
- RAG & Vector Search: Familiarity with RAG pipelines, vector search (Pinecone, OpenSearch), and embedding concepts
- AI Evaluation & UX: Experience with AI evaluation tooling, feedback loops, and guardrails in user interfaces
We offer
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance (Subsidized)
- Health Savings Account
- Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter)
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (Company Provided)
- Life and AD&D Insurance (Company Provided)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Unlimited access to LinkedIn learning solutions
- Matched 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
- Paid Time Off – the employee will be eligible to accrue 15-25 paid days, depending on specific level and tenure with EPAM (accrual eligibility may change over time)
- Paid Holidays - nine (9) total per year
- Legal Plan and Identity Theft Protection
- Accident Insurance
- Employee Discounts
- Pet Insurance
- Employee Stock Purchase Program
- If otherwise eligible, participation in the discretionary annual bonus program
- If otherwise eligible and hired into a qualifying level, participation in the discretionary Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Program
For remote work in New York City only.
EPAM is a leading global provider of digital platform engineering and development services. We are committed to having a positive impact on our clients, our employees, and our communities. We embrace a dynamic and inclusive culture. Here you will collaborate with multi-national teams, contribute to a myriad of innovative projects that deliver the most creative and cutting-edge solutions, and have an opportunity to continuously learn and grow. No matter where you are located, you will join a dedicated, creative, and diverse community that will help you discover your fullest potential.
Engineer the Future with a Career at EPAM
This posting includes a good faith range of the salary EPAM would reasonably expect to pay the selected candidate. The range provided reflects base salary only. Individual compensation offers within the range are based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: geographic location, experience, credentials, education, training; the demand for the role; and overall business and labor market considerations. Most candidates are hired at a salary within the range disclosed. Salary range: $150,000 - $165,000. In addition, the details highlighted in this job posting above are a general description of all other expected benefits and compensation for the position.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
EPAM will not provide new H-1B visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates with existing transferable H-1B status may be considered.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Salary Context
This $150K-$165K range is in the lower quartile for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $193K across 172 roles with salary data).
Role Details
About This Role
AI Software Engineers build the applications and systems that AI models run inside. They own the API layers, data pipelines, frontend integrations, and infrastructure that turn a model into a product users interact with. Every AI company needs engineers who can build the software around the AI.
The challenge is building reliable systems around inherently unreliable components. Models are probabilistic. They'll give different answers to the same question. They hallucinate. They're slow. They're expensive. Your job is to build an application layer that handles all of this gracefully while delivering a product that users trust and enjoy.
Across the 9,653 AI roles we're tracking, AI Software Engineer positions make up 5% of the market. At EPAM Systems, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: building API endpoints that serve model inference with caching and fallback logic, designing the data pipeline that feeds context to a RAG system, implementing streaming responses in the frontend, debugging a race condition in the async inference pipeline, and optimizing database queries for the vector search layer. It's full-stack engineering with AI at the center.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
Skills Required
Full-stack engineering skills with AI integration experience. Python and TypeScript are the most common requirements. You'll need to understand API design, database architecture, and how to build reliable systems around probabilistic outputs. Experience with streaming, async processing, and caching patterns is increasingly important as real-time AI applications proliferate.
Knowledge of vector databases, embedding APIs, and LLM integration patterns (function calling, structured outputs, retry logic) differentiates AI software engineers from general software engineers. Understanding cost optimization (caching strategies, model routing, batched inference) is valuable since inference costs can dominate application economics.
Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
Compensation Benchmarks
AI Software Engineer roles pay a median of $220,000 based on 1,448 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $228,700. This role's midpoint ($157K) sits 28% below the category median. Disclosed range: $150K to $165K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $213,400. Top-quartile compensation starts at $264,230. The 90th percentile reaches $319,400. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($253,100) and Research Engineer ($252,000). By seniority level: Entry: $110,408; Mid: $193,200; Senior: $228,700; Director: $272,275; VP: $235,000.
EPAM Systems AI Hiring
EPAM Systems has 14 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI Product Manager, AI/ML Engineer, AI Consultant, AI Software Engineer. Positions span Remote, US, Houston, TX, US, New York, NY, US. Compensation range: $90K - $260K.
Remote Work Context
Remote AI roles pay a median of $185,906 across 2,124 positions. About 6% of all AI roles offer remote work.
Career Path
Common paths into AI Software Engineer roles include Software Engineer, Full-Stack Developer, Backend Engineer.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Staff Engineer, AI Architect, Engineering Manager.
If you're a software engineer, you're already 80% there. Learn the AI integration patterns: RAG, streaming inference, function calling, structured outputs. Build a project that demonstrates you can wrap an AI model in a production-quality application with proper error handling, caching, and user experience. That's the portfolio piece that gets you hired.
What to Expect in Interviews
Technical screens look like standard software engineering interviews with an AI twist. Expect system design questions about building reliable applications around probabilistic models: handling streaming responses, implementing retry logic for API failures, and designing caching strategies for LLM outputs. Coding rounds test standard algorithms plus practical integration patterns like async processing and rate limiting.
When evaluating opportunities: Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 9,653 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 193 entry-level, 4,500 mid-level, 3,455 senior, and 1,505 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 6% of the market (568 positions). The remaining 9,010 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $213,400. Top-quartile compensation starts at $264,230. The 90th percentile reaches $319,400. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($253,100 median, 57 roles); Research Engineer ($252,000 median, 419 roles); AI Engineering Manager ($251,622 median, 51 roles).
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 9,653 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (7,301), Data Scientist (441), AI Software Engineer (438). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (193) are outnumbered by mid-level (4,500) and senior (3,455) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 1,505 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 6% of all AI roles (568 positions), with 9,010 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $213,400. Top-quartile roles start at $264,230, and the 90th percentile reaches $319,400. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $253,100 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $141,440. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,605 postings), Aws (916 postings), Azure (724 postings), Rag (634 postings), Gcp (522 postings), Pytorch (495 postings), Kubernetes (384 postings), Claude (383 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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