AI Developer / AI Engineer - LLM and MLOps Specialist

(Variants: AI Developer • LLM / Agent Developer • Applied AI Developer • AI Engineer • Machine Learning Engineer • ML Platform / MLOps Engineer)

Another high-caliber AI build opportunity from Kevin M. Downey…

We work with mid-market U.S. companies - typically 200 to 1,000 employees - that are putting real AI into the way they run, not slideware. These companies need builders who can take an idea past the demo and into production, where it has to actually work, hold up under load, and earn its keep. Some of that work is building on top of today's best models - LLM-powered applications, retrieval, and agentic systems. Some of it is the layer underneath - training, serving, and the infrastructure that makes models reliable at scale. We are building a bench of proven builders now, so when the right seat opens with a client, we can move fast and bring you to the table. If you have systems you actually shipped and can speak to, we should talk.

The Highlights

• Fully Remote, Full-Time Roles with Established U.S. Companies
• $130K to $250K+ Base, Depending on Track and Track Record (Many Roles Add Bonus/Equity by Client)
• Direct-Hire Placement - You Become a Full Member of the Client's Team, Not a Vendor
• Real Production Work - Systems That Ship and Run, Not Prototypes That Die in a Deck
• Direct, Discreet Representation - We Bring You the Seat, You Stay in Control
• We Match You to Fit, Not Just Availability

The Work - Two Tracks

We place across two distinct builder profiles. Apply to the one that matches how you actually work.

AI Developers build on top of foundation models. You ship LLM-powered applications and agentic systems - working with model APIs (Claude, GPT, and others), retrieval (RAG) and vector databases, agent frameworks, tool use and orchestration, and the integration work that wires AI into a real product or operation. Most of our client demand lives here.

AI Engineers build the layer underneath. You own training and fine-tuning, model serving and inference, MLOps and pipelines, and the infrastructure that keeps models fast, reliable, and affordable at scale.

What You'll Build

• Production AI Systems That Real Users and Real Operations Depend On
• Agentic Workflows, Retrieval, and Integrations That Solve an Actual Business Problem (Developer Track)
• Training, Serving, and Infrastructure That Holds Up Under Real Load (Engineer Track)
• Technical Decisions You Can Defend - Architecture, Trade-offs, and How You Know It Works
• Clean, Maintainable Work the Client's Team Can Live With After You Ship

The Requirements

We are not looking for people who can talk about AI. We are looking for people who have built it and can prove it. As part of your application, you'll be asked to walk us through the most complex AI system you've personally built - what it did, your specific role, the hardest technical decision you made, and how you'd verify it worked. That story matters more to us than any title on your resume.

• A Track Record of AI Systems You Personally Built and Shipped to Production
• Strong Hands-On Engineering Fundamentals - You Write Real Code, Not Just Glue Demos Together

Browse our curated collection of remote jobs across all categories and industries, featuring positions from top companies worldwide.

• Developer Track: Production Experience with LLM APIs, RAG, Vector Databases, and Agent Frameworks
• Engineer Track: Production Experience with Training/Fine-Tuning, Model Serving, MLOps, and Scaling
• The Judgment to Make a Hard Technical Call and Explain Why
• A Way to Verify Your Work - You Can Say How You Know a System Actually Works
• Clear Communication - You Can Explain What You Built to Both Engineers and Executives

Admirable Traits

Independent, Technical, Results-Driven, Self-Motivated, Detail-Oriented, Dependable, Outside-the-Box, Head's-Down When It Counts

Our Clients

We work directly with mid-market U.S. companies - established businesses, typically 200 to 1,000 employees, whose growth or operations increasingly depend on AI that actually works in production. Because we represent multiple companies, this is not a single posting. It's how we meet real builders before the right mandate lands, so we can place you into a fit rather than a vacancy.

The Recruiting Process

Once we receive your application, one of our recruiters will reach out to confirm your interest and that the level and track are a fit. From there, we represent you directly to clients whose work matches what you've actually built. Then it's a client interview, an offer, and the right seat. No spray-and-pray - we only put you in front of roles that fit.