Perficient · 10 hours ago
Lead AI Optimization Engineer
Boston, MA
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$73K/yr - $171K/yr
7+ years expPerficient is a global AI-first consultancy, seeking a Lead AI Optimization Engineer to create best-in-class experiences for customers. The role involves developing and optimizing AI solutions, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and leading a small team of engineers.
ConsultingInformation TechnologyInternetMarketing
Hiring Manager
Rachael Smith
Responsibilities
Identify opportunities for improvement across the portfolio to drive technical efficiency through AI initiatives
Partner with cross-functional teams to evaluate recurring manual tasks and identify automation opportunities
Design and develop software tools and workflows to automate tasks and ensure long-term maintainability
Demonstrate feasibility of AI use cases and implement client-approved models to enhance support operations and reduce manual effort
Develop and pilot proof-of-concept (POC) solutions to validate new ideas and technologies before full-scale implementation
Work independently to build full-stack prototypes that illustrate thought process and direction
Evaluate and recommend tooling improvements or integrations to streamline operational workflows
Collaborate with cross-functional teams and researchers to design, develop, deploy, and fine-tune AI-driven features for platform optimizations
Profile and optimize AI models for use in various applications
Build AI Applications leveraging agentic frameworks
Stay abreast of the latest advancements in AI research, model conversion, and industry standards
Provide thought leadership by researching and introducing emerging technologies, market trends, and innovative approaches to enhance service delivery
Work closely with client stakeholders and internal SMEs to ensure alignment, compliance, and prioritization of initiatives
Lead a small team of global engineers
Qualification
Required
7+ years of software engineering experience with fluency in one or more languages, including Java and Python. You must be capable of code reviews and architectural prototyping
Strong fluency across the GenAI landscape — including but not limited to agentic frameworks, orchestration platforms, LLM APIs, and deployment patterns
Experience in various core cloud platform technologies, including AWS and GCP
Familiarity with the GCP AI stack: Vertex AI, BigQuery, Dataflow, and Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
Hands-on experience designing and deploying LLM-backed applications in high-throughput production environments. Experience goes beyond API calls to include fine-tuning, quantization, and context-window optimization
Solid understanding of distributed systems design, microservices, and API design principles (gRPC/REST). You understand CAP theorem, latency vs. throughput trade-offs, and how to design for failure
Demonstrated ability to leverage AI tools to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and support data-informed task execution
A solid understanding of AI capabilities and limitations including ethical considerations is expected
Proven ability to lead 'whiteboard-to-production' journeys. Experience navigating ambiguity, influencing client stakeholders, and driving technical consensus across cross-functional engineering and product teams
Demonstrated ability to translate business problems into high-level solution architectures
Experience supporting production environments, including production support activities and/or managed services programs, is considered an asset
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or a related field or equivalent experience
Preferred
Familiarity with AI-enhanced platforms is a plus
Certification (Professional Cloud Architect or ML Engineer) is a strong plus
Company
Perficient
Perficient is an IT consulting firm that helps companies adapt their systems to third party software products that use internet.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Perficient has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (154)
2024 (147)
2023 (156)
2022 (196)
2021 (175)
2020 (223)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$65.3M2024-05-05Acquired
2024-01-17Post Ipo Equity· $4.44M
2022-10-17Post Ipo Equity· $5.18M
Leadership Team
Ed Hofffman
Senior Vice President, North America Business Operations
Hari Madamalla
Vice President
Recent News
2025-11-10
Dallas Innovates
2025-10-11
Company data provided by crunchbase