AI Forward Deployed Engineer

Introduction


A career in IBM Consulting is built on long-term client relationships and close collaboration worldwide. You'll work with leading companies across industries, helping them shape their hybrid cloud and AI journeys. With support from our strategic partners, robust IBM technology, and Red Hat, you'll have the tools to drive meaningful change and accelerate client impact. At IBM Consulting, curiosity fuels success. You'll be encouraged to challenge the norm, explore new ideas, and create innovative solutions that deliver real results. Our culture of growth and empathy focuses on your long-term career development while valuing your unique skills and experiences.

Your role and responsibilities


As an AI Forward Deployed Engineer, you will work with customers to understand their workflows, technical environments, and business objectives, translating those needs into practical AI-powered solutions. You will design and build end-to-end systems, integrating AI models with customer data sources, APIs, and infrastructure, and deploy these solutions into real operational settings. To be successful, you will need to iterate quickly, troubleshoot complex issues across the entire technical stack, and collaborate closely with internal product, research, and engineering teams to refine core AI capabilities based on field experience.


Your primary responsibilities will include:
• Develop AI Solutions : Design and implement AI models to solve complex business problems, selecting relevant features and algorithms to achieve desired outcomes. Deliver demos, proofs of concept, and production-ready implementations while guiding customers on best practices throughout deployment and adoption.
• Evaluate Model Performance: Assess the effectiveness of algorithms using relevant metrics, identifying areas for improvement and optimizing model performance.
• Apply Expertise in Cloud and Data: Support sales and delivery of services across cloud, data, and AI domains, with a strong understanding of complex, multi-practice engagements. Strong proficiency in AWS cloud infrastructure and services (SageMaker, S3, Glue, etc.).
• Experience with Integrated Solution Design: Articulate integrated solutions that span advisory, engineering, and operational capabilities, leveraging expertise across cloud, data, and AI domains.
• Communicate Results: Clearly articulate the results of AI initiatives, providing actionable insights and recommendations to drive business outcomes.

This job can be performed from anywhere in the US.

Required education


Bachelor's Degree


Required technical and professional expertise

• 5-10+ years of recent, hands-on experience in data engineering, machine learning, or AI-related roles
• AI/ML expertise: Hands-on experience with AI/ML and Generative AI (LLMs, RAG), including building, fine-tuning, and integrating models into real-world applications
• Agentic AI & workflows: Experience developing or working with agent-based AI solutions (e.g., Amazon Bedrock or similar platforms)
• Software engineering: Strong coding skills (ideally in Python) and experience building production-grade systems on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
• Data & systems: Working knowledge of SQL, ETL pipelines, and large-scale data processing (e.g., Spark or distributed systems)
• Deployment & tooling: Experience with modern deployment practices (Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines)
• Problem-solving: Comfortable navigating ambiguity, prototyping quickly, and turning ideas into working solutions
• Communication: Ability to work with clients and explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Security awareness: Understanding of secure development practices and enterprise considerations for AI systems
• Product mindset: Ability to think end-to-end and design solutions that align with real user needs

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Experience working with senior stakeholders or client leadership
• Background leading or contributing to large-scale AI/ML programs or implementations

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Consulting is IBM's consulting and global professional services business, with market leading capabilities in business and technology transformation. With deep expertise in many industries, we offer strategy, experience, technology, and operations services to many of the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Our people are focused on accelerating our clients' businesses through the power of collaboration. We believe in the power of technology responsibly used to help people, partners and the planet.


YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.


Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.


At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

- Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being

- Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs

- Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law

- Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals

- Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.


IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.