Forward Deployed Engineer – Lead AI & Agentic Engineer
Kyndryl
Forward Deployed Engineer – Lead AI & Agentic Engineer
Kyndryl
Managed IT infrastructure and cloud services
Who We Are
At Kyndryl, we run and reimagine the mission-critical technology systems that drive advantage for the world’s leading businesses. We are at the heart of progress; with proven expertise and a continuous flow of AI-powered insight, enabling smarter decisions, faster innovation, and a lasting competitive edge. For our people—Kyndryls—that means doing purposeful work that powers human progress. Join us and experience a flexible, supportive environment where your well-being is prioritized and your potential can thrive.
The Role
Your Role
As a Forward Deployed Lead / Principal Engineer (FDE) with an AI & Agentic Engineering focus (Band 9), you own the technical direction and delivery of major enterprise AI programmes — architecting the agentic systems and generative AI applications that go into production in close collaboration with platform engineering. You align enterprise goals with target-state AI architectures for senior stakeholders, guide the team’s technical direction while staying close to the work, and work hand-in-hand with the platform engineers on the team throughout design, build, and deployment.
You combine deep expertise in agentic AI systems, RAG, and applied software engineering with strong consulting acumen. You establish AI governance frameworks, champion sound engineering practice across the AI delivery lifecycle, and act as a go-to technical reference on complex engagements.
What You Will Do
Depending on the engagement, you’ll draw on some of the below more than others — not every bullet applies to every project.
Design and build agentic AI applications and multi-agent workflows, along with the frameworks that run them, for enterprise use cases
Build RAG pipelines and integrate LLM APIs, vector databases, and MCP (Model Context Protocol) tooling
Process unstructured data into condensed, structured knowledge, including ontology extraction
Write production-grade Python services (FastAPI) with solid engineering practices: design, testing, code review, CI/CD
Work with relational and graph databases (e.g. Postgres, Neo4j) to model and serve data behind AI applications
Work closely with platform engineering throughout deployment — hosting, scaling, and MLOps/LLMOps — without owning that infrastructure yourself
Define AI governance and responsible-use guardrails: data privacy boundaries, LLM governance, and policy enforcement (OPA/Rego)
Instrument AI applications for observability (OpenTelemetry, Prometheus) so behaviour and cost stay visible in production
Translate enterprise requirements into AI solution roadmaps for senior stakeholders
Capture field learnings, codify reusable agentic patterns, and mentor engineers hands-on
Provide architectural oversight across multi-disciplinary workstreams, staying close enough to unblock the team directly
Who You Are
You don’t need to tick every box below to apply — this reflects the breadth of the role, not a strict checklist.
Required Skills and Experience
8–10+ years in software or solution engineering, with a track record of shipping AI systems in client-facing engagements
Strong Python engineering (FastAPI), with solid SDLC practices: design, testing, code review, CI/CD, Git & GitHub
Hands-on experience with agentic AI frameworks (examples include LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, Semantic Kernel, OpenAI’s Agents SDK, and Google’s Agent Development Kit) and MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Practical experience building RAG/LLM-based pipelines and working with vector databases
Experience with relational and graph databases (e.g. Postgres, Neo4j) for data modelling behind AI applications
Hands-on familiarity with modern AI coding copilots (e.g. Claude, Codex, Cursor)
Strong stakeholder communication, translating AI capability into business outcomes for senior stakeholders
Preferred Skills and Experience
Familiarity with observability instrumentation for AI systems (OpenTelemetry, Prometheus)
Experience with AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) and the Hugging Face / open-source AI ecosystem
Experience with image understanding and OCR
Working knowledge of policy-as-code (OPA/Rego) for AI governance and guardrails
Understanding of LLM governance: data privacy, guardrails, and responsible-use controls
T-shaped profile: deep expertise in AI engineering, broad understanding across software engineering and technical consulting
Willingness to travel and work on customer premises as required
Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Informatics, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related discipline — or equivalent professional experience
Being You
The “Kyn” in Kyndryl means kinship, which represents the strong bonds we have with each other, our customers and our communities. We focus on ensuring all Kyndryls feel included and we welcome people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Even if you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. We believe in growth, and we’re excited to see what you can bring. At Kyndryl, employee feedback has told us that our number one driver of employee engagement is belonging. That sense of belonging — being a valued, respected, trusted member of the team — is fundamental to our culture and fueling great experiences for our customers. This dedication to welcoming everyone into our company means that Kyndryl gives you the ability to thrive and contribute to our culture of empathy and shared success. That’s The Kyndryl Way.
What You Can Expect
Your career with us isn’t just a job—it’s an adventure with purpose. We offer a dynamic, hybrid-friendly culture that supports your well-being and empowers you to grow. Our Be Well programs are thoughtfully designed to support your financial, mental, physical, and social health—because we know that when you feel your best, you do your best.
From your very first day, you’ll dive into impactful work that powers the systems our customers rely on every day. You won’t just contribute—you’ll make a difference, tackling meaningful projects that sharpen your skills and fuel your growth.
We’re here to champion your journey. With powerful tools to chart your career path, personalized development goals aligned with your ambitions, and continuous feedback to keep you inspired and on track, you’ll have everything you need to thrive and evolve. You’ll develop in-demand skills to grow your career and achieve your ambitions with access to cutting-edge learning opportunities—from certifications with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon to coaching and hands-on experiences. And through it all, you’ll be part of a culture that values empathy, restless learning, and a devotion to shared success.
We want you to thrive here—and we’re committed to helping you do just that. Ready to make an impact? Join us and help shape what’s next.
Get Referred!
If you know someone that works at Kyndryl, when asked ‘How Did You Hear About Us’ during the application process, select ‘Employee Referral’ and enter your contact's Kyndryl email address.
Kyndryl provides managed IT infrastructure services for large enterprises, helping them run and modernize their technology environments. Its offerings cover cloud adoption, cybersecurity, security operations, and digital workplace services, all delivered under long-term managed-service contracts. The company works by partnering with major technology providers (including Microsoft) to offer integrated, end-to-end solutions, often complemented by a new security operations center (SOC) and other security capabilities. This focus sets it apart from competitors through scale, enterprise-grade governance, and a history rooted in IBM’s infrastructure services, now independent but aligned with large technology partners. The goal is to support digital transformation by providing reliable, scalable, and secure infrastructure management that enables enterprises to operate efficiently and securely in a cloud-enabled world.
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