Lead AI Platform Engineer

We are seeking a Lead AI Platform Engineer to lead the design and evolution of a next-generation AI Gateway platform that enables secure, scalable and governed access to Large Language Models (LLMs) and agentic workflows across the enterprise in a SAAS environment. This role owns the end-to-end architecture covering MCP (Model Context Protocol), agents, multi-provider LLM integrations, authentication and authorization, semantic caching, rate limiting, guardrails and reusable frameworks for agent and tool development. This is a fully remote position that offers you the flexibility to work from any location in Armenia, whether it's your home or well-equipped offices in Yerevan or Gyumri. Responsibilities Develop the AI Gateway platform, including MCP, agents, LLM routing, governance and observabilityTranslate business and product requirements into clear problem statements, architectural designs and scalable technical solutionsDesign extensible frameworks for MCP server capabilities and integrations as well as agent orchestration and reusable agent skillsArchitect gateway capabilities such as semantic caching for LLM responses, rate limiting, quotas and traffic governance and guardrails and validation layers for safe LLM/MCP usageDesign and review authentication and authorization models, including multiple OIDC-based flows, identity propagation and token-based access control for MCP and LLM trafficBuild prototypes and reference implementations to validate architectural decisions and guide engineering teamsPartner with multiple product teams integrating with the AI Gateway, providing architecture guidance, best practices and integration patternsReview designs and code, providing actionable feedback to ensure quality, performance, scalability and securityDefine and review CI/CD best practices using modern GitHub-based pipelinesArchitect and review Kubernetes-based deployment models, ensuring scalability, resiliency and production readiness Requirements 5+ years of software engineering experienceProven experience designing and delivering large-scale distributed systems or platform productsProficiency in Golang and PythonFamiliarity with AI-centric development with a strong emphasis on quality gates and architecture patterns to enforce agentic behavior in producing quality codeDeep understanding of AI gateways, AI/LLM platforms or middleware systems, including routing, governance and scalabilityExperience with microservices and service-oriented architectures for multi-tenant SAAS environments, PostgreSQL for transactional data and Redis for caching and distributed coordinationStrong background in authentication and authorization systems, particularly OAuth-based approachesDemonstrated ability to independently drive problem definition, architecture, prototype and execution guidanceExperience designing platforms and frameworks used by multiple product teamsEnglish proficiency at B2 level or higher Nice to have Experience with MCP (Model Context Protocol), agentic platforms or AI orchestration frameworksKnowledge or know-how in working with EDA softwarePrior work on LLM gateways, API gateways or AI middleware platformsExperience building generic developer frameworks or SDKs adopted across teamsFamiliarity with guardrails, semantic caching, prompt/response optimization and LLM cost control techniques We offer We connect like-minded peopleDelivering innovative solutions to industry leaders, making a global impactEnjoyable working environment, whether it is the vibrant office or the comfort of your homeOpportunity to work abroad for up to two months per yearRelocation opportunities within our offices in 55+ countriesCorporate and social eventsWe invest in your growthLeadership development, career advising, soft skills and well-being programsCertifications, including GCP, Azure and AWSUnlimited access to EPAM's internal learning databaseFree English classes with certified teachersWe cover it allParticipation in the Employee Stock Purchase PlanMonetary bonuses for engaging in the referral programComprehensive medical & family care packageFour trust days per year for personal needsDiscounts for fitness clubsBenefits package (hotels, restaurants, stores and services) EPAM is global leader in AI transformation engineering and integrated consulting, serving Forbes Global 2000 companies and ambitious startups. With over thirty years of expertise in custom software, product and platform engineering, we empower our clients to become AI-Native enterprises, driving measurable value from innovation and digital investments.