AI Engineer

Umain is hiring a full-time AI Engineer to help design, prototype, and build AI-powered tools, workflows, and agents for clients. Based in Chicago, IL, this role focuses on integrating LLMs and vision models, architecting agentic systems, and delivering production-ready applications with evaluation and observability.

In this position, you will work directly with startups and global enterprises, bringing technical depth across model selection, orchestration, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure. You will also support Umain’s client work by translating ambiguous needs into feasible AI solutions and contributing to proposals and RFP responses.

What you’ll do

• Partner with clients to clarify challenges, assess feasibility and risk, and evaluate whether AI is the right solution, including considerations for data security, privacy, licensing, and responsible AI.
• Design, prototype, build, and ship AI-powered applications, workflows, and agents for client teams.
• Architect agentic systems, including context management, memory, orchestration, and the tools, skills, and MCP integrations agents rely on.
• Select, integrate, and adapt foundation models (including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others), using fine-tuning or model combinations when off-the-shelf options are insufficient.
• Account for model limitations across architecture and product experience, applying techniques such as retrieval, chunking, embeddings, and redlining, and debugging AI systems when they misbehave.
• Build evaluation and observability into production work using stochastic test cases, trace-based analysis, and tools to benchmark and monitor models, prompts, and agents.
• Build the software, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure required for reliable AI operations at scale on Azure, GCP, or AWS.
• Own portions of delivery, communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders, and lead client and internal workshops.
• Support new business by joining pitches as the AI expert, shaping proposals and RFP responses, and explaining what’s possible with AI.
• Help define Umain’s AI offerings and grow internal capability through frameworks, playbooks, knowledge sessions, and engineering standards.

Qualifications

• Approximately 8 years of engineering experience, including at least 4 years building AI-powered systems, or equivalent hands-on experience shipping AI in production.
• Hands-on experience with LLMs, embeddings, vector databases, prompt and context engineering, retrieval setups, fine-tuning, and model evaluation.
• Experience building agents, including memory, tool use, and orchestration, using at least one modern agent framework.
• Experience integrating AI services such as OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and Meta models.
• Strong software engineering skills in TypeScript and/or Python, including real backend systems and data pipelines.
• Full-stack product thinking with ability to build end to end, including experience outside traditional AI roles (frontend or backend).
• Proven experience deploying and operating scalable applications in Azure, GCP, or AWS.
• Experience with Docker, CI/CD, and modern DevOps practices.
• A track record of delivering AI solutions, not just prototypes.
• Pragmatic judgment to determine when AI is the right approach and when it is not.
• Ability to convert vague questions into concrete technical solutions for clients.
• Strong communication skills and comfort working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Curiosity about emerging AI capabilities and enthusiasm for exploring new approaches.

Tech you’ll work with

• TypeScript, Python, LLMs, embeddings, vector databases
• OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Google Gemini, Meta, Azure OpenAI
• retrieval, chunking, redlining, MCP
• Docker, CI/CD, Azure, GCP, AWS

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits prioritizing employee well-being, reflecting Nordic heritage.
• Healthcare benefits with fully subsidized insurance premiums for employees and their families.
• Flexible time off with a minimum of 3 weeks per year.
• Encouragement to take vacations in 2-week increments.

Nice to have

• Experience with machine learning, computer vision, generative images, and/or multimodal models.
• Experience in consultancy or client-facing environments.

Location and schedule

• Full-time role based in Chicago at the West Loop office.
• Must be in Chicago or willing to relocate; minimum 3 days in-office per week is required.

Salary: USD 130,000 - 170,000 per year.