Lead AI Engineer

We are looking for a Lead AI Engineer to design, develop, and deploy scalable Generative AI and conversational AI solutions for enterprise environments. This role leads the implementation of LLM-powered applications, RAG architectures, multi-agent workflows, and AI-driven APIs, ensuring high standards for security, reliability, and performance. The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in Python, GCP, enterprise chatbot development, and AI orchestration frameworks, along with experience evaluating, optimizing, and monitoring AI solutions. Working closely with product, engineering, and business stakeholders, the Lead AI Engineer drives the adoption of innovative AI technologies that deliver measurable business value. This role is based on client site in Dallas, TX for 2-3 days per week.

• Design, develop, and deploy scalable Generative AI and chatbot solutions for production environments, ensuring security, performance, and reliability.
• Build Python-based APIs and agentic workflows using Google ADK, FastAPI, LangGraph, Copilot Studio, or similar frameworks.
• Implement and optimize RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures, vector databases, and knowledge retrieval systems to improve chatbot accuracy and reduce hallucinations.
• Develop and maintain backend services that expose AI capabilities through secure, scalable APIs.
• Design agentic AI patterns such as supervisor/orchestrator, fan-in/fan-out, retrieval, research, and evaluation workflows.
• Establish observability, monitoring, and evaluation frameworks to measure chatbot performance, response quality, and business outcomes.
• Evaluate emerging AI models, tools, and platforms and recommend best practices for enterprise adoption.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and business stakeholders in a spec-driven development environment.
• 3+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering, software engineering, or solution architecture, including 1+ year focused on Generative AI, LLMs, or conversational AI.
• Strong hands-on experience with Python, FastAPI, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Google ADK.
• Experience designing and implementing enterprise chatbots and agentic AI solutions.
• Deep expertise in RAG architectures, knowledge bases, embeddings, and vector databases
• Strong understanding of retrieval techniques, including hybrid search, semantic search, and BM25.
• Experience building multi-agent and agent orchestration workflows using frameworks such as Google ADK, LangGraph, Copilot Studio, or similar.
• Knowledge of AI evaluation methodologies (Evals), including techniques for measuring accuracy, grounding, hallucination rates, and response quality.
• Familiarity with API design, integration patterns, observability, resiliency mechanisms, and circuit-breaker patterns.
• Experience with Prompt engineering and Meta Prompting
• Experiences with approaches to fine tuning or reinforcement learning
• Understanding of agent memory usage
• Experience with Vector DB
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across engineering, product, and business teams.

Preferred Experience

• Healthcare, patient engagement, or regulated industry environments.
• Production monitoring and continuous improvement of conversational AI systems using real-world interaction data.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

At Perficient, we promise to challenge, champion, and celebrate our people. You will experience a unique and collaborative culture that values every voice. Join our team, and you’ll become part of something truly special.

We believe in developing a workforce that is as diverse and inclusive as the clients we work with. We’re committed to actively listening, learning, and acting to further advance our organization, our communities, and our future leaders… and we’re not done yet.

Perficient, Inc. proudly provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Perficient, Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Perficient, Inc. expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or covered veterans. Improper interference with the ability of Perficient, Inc. employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated.

Disability Accommodations:

Perficient is committed to providing a barrier-free employment process with reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact us.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled or the posting is removed.

The salary range for this position takes into consideration a variety of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, level of experience, applicable office location, training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The new hire salary range displays the minimum and maximum salary targets for this position across all US locations, and the range has not been adjusted for any specific state differentials. It is not typical for a candidate to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the unique facts and circumstances regarding each candidate. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range for this position is $133,600 to $170,600. Please note that the salary range posted reflects the base salary only and does not include benefits or any potential variable compensation programs. Information regarding the benefits available for this position are in our benefits overview.

Disclaimer: The above statements are not intended to be a complete statement of job content, rather to act as a guide to the essential functions performed by the employee assigned to this classification. Management retains the discretion to add or change the duties of the position at any time.