[Hiring] Freelance Forward Deployed AI Engineer @Toloka

Role Description

The Forward Deployed AI Engineer is Toloka's most senior client-facing technical role. You will partner directly with CTOs, VPs of Engineering and ML, research leaders, and applied AI teams, helping them solve complex AI data challenges and translate ambitious model goals into practical, scalable solutions.

This is a hands-on role. You will design and build the data-generation, labeling, and evaluation pipelines that power the next generation of AI models. Rather than training the models yourself, you'll help clients identify the right data strategy and own the solution from problem discovery through implementation and delivery.

Beyond delivering client solutions, you'll help shape how Toloka approaches AI solution engineering - establishing best practices, raising the technical bar across engagements, and mentoring Solution Engineers and Technical Consultants.

What you'll do

• Executive partnership:
  • Act as the primary technical counterpart to CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and research/engineering leadership.
  • Lead executive conversations using a structured, answer-first (BLUF) approach.
  • Manage escalations and expectations with composure and integrity.
  • Build long-term trusted relationships by recommending evidence-based solutions.
• Data strategy & needs diagnosis:
  • Ask excellent questions to uncover the client's real need - the "question behind the question."
  • Understand their model, which metrics they want to move, and how they intend to train or evaluate it.
  • Draw on a solid understanding of how LLMs are trained and fine-tuned to have credible conversations with their technical leaders.
  • Proactively propose the data that will solve their problem - with options and rationale.
• Solution engineering & delivery (hands-on):
  • Design and build the data solutions yourself: configure data-labeling components and quality controls, develop user interfaces and AI-driven solutions, and integrate them into automated, multi-stage pipelines.
  • Architect and reason about complex, multi-stage solutions end to end; run experiments to prove the pipeline delivers data of the required quality and speed; iterate from MVP toward production.
  • Provide technical leadership across multiple client engagements, establish reusable engineering standards and best practices, and mentor Solution Engineers and Technical Consultants.
• Commercial ownership:
  • Own delivery end to end - timelines, quality, and scalability - and the commercial outcome: Gross Margin and Contribution Margin.
  • Identify and drive expansion opportunities.

Qualifications

• Executive communication: Confidently lead conversations with CTOs, VPs, and senior technical stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of modern LLM development: Understand how modern LLMs are trained, fine-tuned, and evaluated.
• Hands-on solution engineering: Designed complex AI solutions, built multi-stage pipelines, and developed AI-driven systems.
• Solid software engineering foundations: Understand version control, testing, MVP thinking, and iterative development.
• Exceptional discovery and problem framing: Enjoy working through ambiguity and translating business or research goals into clear AI data strategies.
• Seniority and track record: 8+ years delivering complex AI, ML, or data projects end to end.
• Ownership mindset: Take responsibility for outcomes and make thoughtful trade-offs.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience training or fine-tuning LLMs and/or building agentic systems.
• Advanced degree (MSc/PhD) in AI, CS, or a related field.
• Experience in crowdsourcing and/or data-centric AI.

Benefits

• Freelance (B2B) collaboration, with a path into a project team if things go well.
• Flexible, fully remote schedule (40 hours per week).
• Work at the leading edge of AI development, alongside a dedicated and dynamic team of experts.
• Projects with customers that are AI industry leaders and well-known household names.
• Friendly community.