EPAM is hiring a hands-on CTO to lead the technical side of our Anthropic practice, from the first client conversation to a signed deal and live delivery. The focus is agentic process transformation: redesigning end-to-end business processes around Claude-based agents that do real work, not just assist employees.
You will be the practice's senior technical voice in front of clients. You shape the solution, defend it in the room, and make sure what we sell is what we can deliver. You will work alongside sales, partner, and delivery leaders across EPAM, and with Anthropic's own teams on joint pursuits.
Req# 1123864311
Responsibilities
- Own the technical story of every major deal, across four stages of the deal lifecycle
- Lead technical discovery with C-level and business stakeholders, and find the processes where agents create measurable value (cost, cycle time, quality, revenue)
- Run executive briefings, architecture whiteboard sessions, and live demos of Claude-based agentic solutions
- Build the business case: process baseline, target state, ROI model, and risk profile
- Act as the technical counterpart to Anthropic's account and solutions teams on joint pursuits
- Own the technical solution in proposals and RFP responses: architecture, delivery approach, estimates, staffing model, assumptions, and risks
- Design agentic architectures: orchestration patterns, tool and data integration, human-in-the-loop checkpoints, evaluation, observability, and guardrails
- Shape commercial models with sales, including phased (pilot to scale) and outcome-based pricing
- Scope fast proofs of concept and pilots that de-risk the deal and convert into signed programs
- Stay with the deal through negotiation and answer technical due diligence, security, and compliance questions
- Act as technical sponsor over the delivery lead and architect on flagship engagements, and ensure pilots reach production at enterprise scale
- Set engineering standards for agent development: evals, testing, context management, cost and latency control, security, and governance
- Serve as the escalation point for technical risk across the Anthropic portfolio
- Build reusable assets: reference architectures, accelerators, agent templates, demo environments, and industry solution playbooks
- Hire, mentor, and grow a bench of agentic AI architects and FDEs, and train EPAM's wider pre-sales and delivery community
- Track Anthropic's roadmap and the wider AI market, and turn new models and products into client offers within weeks of release
- Represent EPAM externally at client workshops, Anthropic partner events, and industry conferences, and publish points of view
Requirements
- A builder who can sell and a seller who can build, with real depth in core AI
- Experience: 12+ years in software engineering, architecture, or technical consulting, including 5+ years in a senior client-facing technical role (field CTO, principal architect, or head of solutions engineering)
- Core AI depth: a hands-on background in machine learning or NLP that predates LLMs, plus a working grasp of how LLMs are trained, evaluated, and deployed (fine-tuning vs. retrieval vs. prompting, context windows, embeddings, reasoning, tool use)
- Agentic systems in production: has designed and shipped LLM-based agents that run real workflows, with tool use, multi-step planning, multi-agent orchestration, retrieval, memory, and evaluation
- Pre-sales track record: has led the technical side of large proposals, won them, and presented to C-level buyers
- Process transformation: can map a business process, find where agents fit, and redesign the operating model around them, rather than bolting a chatbot onto the old process
- Enterprise architecture breadth: cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), APIs and integration, data platforms, identity and security, and the enterprise systems agents must work with (ERP, CRM, ITSM, core industry platforms)
- Communication: explains technical trade-offs to non-technical executives, then goes deep with client engineering teams the same day
- Still hands-on: comfortable building a prototype or demo in Python or TypeScript
- Curiosity and speed: keeps pace with a fast-moving platform and is energized, not overwhelmed, by monthly product releases
Nice to have
- Anthropic platform: built with Claude models through the Claude API, Claude Agent SDK, Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent Skills, and Claude Code; has rolled out Claude Enterprise
- Cloud channels: has deployed Claude through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry
- Competitive fluency: knows other agent frameworks and model providers well enough to position Claude credibly against them
- AI governance: working knowledge of the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, and the rules of regulated industries
- LLMOps: experience with evaluation, observability, and cost management for agents in production
- Industry depth in one or more of EPAM's core sectors: financial services, insurance, life sciences and healthcare, retail and consumer, software and hi-tech, or travel and hospitality
- Background at a major consultancy, hyperscaler, or AI lab in a field CTO, applied AI, or solutions engineering role
- Education: advanced degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related field, or equivalent experience. Publications, patents, or open-source work are a plus
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
- Legal Plan and Identity Theft Protection
- Accident Insurance
- Employee Discounts
- Pet Insurance
- Employee Stock Purchase Program
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 (https://www.youtube.com/embed/NU_mnNITn2o?si=IiCxyQ4sr1YJWxDG)
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: $200,000-$325,000 USD. This position is also eligible for variable compensation incentives. 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.
EPAM Systems, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We recognize the value of diversity and inclusion in creating success for our customers, business partners, shareholders, employees and communities. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, developing and promoting employees without discrimination. As a global employer, this commitment includes complying with all laws in the countries in which we operate. Nevertheless, we believe equal employment practices should not be limited to what the law requires. Equal opportunity and inclusion are essential to motivate, empower and recognize the best in everyone.
At EPAM, employment actions are based on individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital or familial status, national origin, ancestry, genetics, age, disability status, veteran status, citizenship status when otherwise legally able to work, or any other characteristic protected by law.