AI Agent Engineer - 12 Months Contract
Job Fit Check
Base Career helps you apply smarter for this job.
Key skills for this role
About the Role
Hays is seeking an AI Agent Engineer for a 12-month contract to design, build, and operate production-grade AI agents on Microsoft Foundry. The role requires strong Python skills, experience with LLM-based systems, and Azure integration, working within agile teams to take agent use cases from prototype to production.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and deploy pro code AI agents on Microsoft Foundry, leveraging its agent framework, model catalogue, and tool/function calling capabilities
- Integrate agents with Palantir Foundry via MCP to fetch enterprise data and execute Ontology actions, alongside other tool, retrieval, memory, and multi agent orchestration patterns in Python
- Build evaluation harnesses and guardrails (groundedness, safety, cost, latency) and iterate on prompts, tools, and architectures based on measured outcomes
- Apply prompt engineering, structured output, RAG, and grounding techniques appropriate to each use case
- Operate agents in production: observability, tracing, cost monitoring, regression testing, and incident response
- Manage versioning of prompts, tools, and agent configurations alongside code
- Integrate with Azure services (Azure OpenAI, AI Search, Storage, Functions, Container Apps, Key Vault, Entra ID) to deliver secure, scalable agent solutions
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for agent deployment, including automated evals as a release gate
- Implement authentication, authorization, secret management, and data handling patterns aligned with enterprise security standards
- Work closely with Product Managers, Data Scientists, and IT Architects to translate agent use cases into delivery plans
- Communicate trade offs (model choice, latency, cost, accuracy) clearly to technical and non technical stakeholders
- Champion agentic patterns and reusable components across the engineering organization
Requirements
- Software engineering experience with hands on production experience building LLM based / agentic systems (tool use, orchestration, RAG, evals)
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related quantitative field; advanced degrees preferred
- Strong Python — idiomatic, typed, tested; comfortable with async and modern packaging
- Proven experience building production AI agents in code (e.g., Microsoft Foundry, Semantic Kernel, AutoGen, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, OpenAI Agents SDK, or equivalent)
- Microsoft Foundry experience strongly preferred
- Azure exposure — Azure OpenAI, AI Search, identity, storage, serverless compute; familiarity with Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions
- Deep working knowledge of LLM application patterns: tool/function calling, structured outputs, RAG, memory, multi agent orchestration
- Experience with evaluation frameworks and observability for LLM systems (tracing, prompt/response logging, automated evals)
- DevOps fundamentals: Git, CI/CD, containers, infrastructure as code; exposure to data engineering and vector stores is a plus
- High energy, ownership driven mindset; strong problem solving and analytical skills; excellent communication and collaboration abilities
Full Job Posting
Job Overview
- The job holder is responsible for designing, building, and operating production grade AI agents on Microsoft Foundry — LLM powered systems that reason, use tools, and orchestrate multi step workflows against enterprise data and services.
- This is a hands on, pro code role: the engineer writes Python, integrates Azure services, and ships agentic applications that drive measurable business impact.
- The engineer works within agile teams alongside Product, Data Science, and Architecture to take agent use cases from prototype to production.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, build, and deploy pro code AI agents on Microsoft Foundry, leveraging its agent framework, model catalogue, and tool/function calling capabilities.
- Integrate agents with Palantir Foundry via MCP (Model Context Protocol) to fetch enterprise data and execute Ontology actions, alongside other tool, retrieval, memory, and multi agent orchestration patterns in Python.
- Build evaluation harnesses and guardrails (groundedness, safety, cost, latency) and iterate on prompts, tools, and architectures based on measured outcomes.
- Apply prompt engineering, structured output, RAG, and grounding techniques appropriate to each use case.
- Operate agents in production: observability, tracing, cost monitoring, regression testing, and incident response.
- Manage versioning of prompts, tools, and agent configurations alongside code.
- Integrate with Azure services (Azure OpenAI, AI Search, Storage, Functions, Container Apps, Key Vault, Entra ID) to deliver secure, scalable agent solutions.
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for agent deployment, including automated evals as a release gate.
- Implement authentication, authorization, secret management, and data handling patterns aligned with enterprise security standards.
- Work closely with Product Managers, Data Scientists, and IT Architects to translate agent use cases into delivery plans.
- Communicate trade offs (model choice, latency, cost, accuracy) clearly to technical and non technical stakeholders.
- Champion agentic patterns and reusable components across the engineering organization.
Qualifications
- Software engineering experience with hands on production experience building LLM based / agentic systems (tool use, orchestration, RAG, evals).
- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related quantitative field; advanced degrees preferred.
- Strong Python — idiomatic, typed, tested; comfortable with async and modern packaging.
- Proven experience building production AI agents in code (e.g. Microsoft Foundry / Azure AI Foundry, Semantic Kernel, AutoGen, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, OpenAI Agents SDK, or equivalent custom frameworks).
- Microsoft Foundry experience strongly preferred (agent authoring, model catalog, connectors, deployment).
- Azure exposure — Azure OpenAI, AI Search, identity, storage, serverless compute; familiarity with Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.
- Deep working knowledge of LLM application patterns: tool/function calling, structured outputs, RAG, memory, multi agent orchestration.
- Experience with evaluation frameworks and observability for LLM systems (tracing, prompt/response logging, automated evals).
- DevOps fundamentals: Git, CI/CD, containers, infrastructure as code; exposure to data engineering and vector stores is a plus.
- High energy, ownership driven mindset; strong problem solving and analytical skills; excellent communication and collaboration abilities; comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving clarity; experience in agile/start up environments preferred; track record of taking AI/ML or agent projects from pro
Apply for this job in 1 click
Skip the repetitive application forms
Install the Base Career Chrome Extension and autofill job applications across major job boards with your profile.
Trusted by over 500,000 job seekers on Base Career
More from this employer
More jobs at Hays
Senior Business Analyst
Markham, CAN
Hays recrute un Senior Business Analyst pour soutenir le bureau du CEO dans la gestion d'entreprise et les initiatives stratégiques. Vous préparerez des présentations pour la haute direction, dirigerez des recherches et
Strategy Director
Dubai, UAE
Hays has partnered with a leading technology solutions and digital transformation organisation to hire a Strategy Director. The role involves shaping long-term growth strategy, leading strategic planning, and driving cro
VP - Investment Solutions
Abu Dhabi, UAE
A leading investment organization seeks a Vice President to define and drive the technology strategy for a multi-billion-dollar investment platform. This role sits at the intersection of investments, technology, data, an
Talent Acquisition Specialist - 3 Months Contract
Dubai, UAE
Hays is looking for an experienced Talent Acquisition Specialist with a strong background in the construction industry for a 3-month contract in Dubai. The role involves managing end-to-end recruitment for management-lev
Talent Acquisition Admin - 1 to 2 Months Contract
Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE
The company is seeking a Talent Acquisition Admin on a temporary 1-2 month contract to support the HR function. The role involves sourcing, screening, and shortlisting candidates, coordinating interviews, managing recrui
Accounts Payable Accountant
Jeddah, KSA
Hays is partnering with a leading retail manufacturing company in Jeddah to recruit a Senior Accounts Payable Accountant. The role involves managing the end-to-end AP function, including supplier invoices, expense claims
Manager - Commercial Governance (16 months)
Dubai, UAE
Hays is seeking a Manager - Commercial Governance for a 16-month contract in Dubai. The role involves managing governance, compliance, audit, and quality assurance across commercial and property revenue functions. Requir
OpenText Extended ECM (xECM) Consultant / Developer
Dubai, UAE
Hays is seeking an experienced OpenText Extended ECM (xECM) Consultant/Developer for a 6-month contract in Dubai. You will design, implement, customize, and administer OpenText xECM solutions, integrate with enterprise a
Senior Business Analyst
Markham, CAN
Strategy Director
Dubai, UAE
VP - Investment Solutions
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Talent Acquisition Specialist - 3 Months Contract
Dubai, UAE
Talent Acquisition Admin - 1 to 2 Months Contract
Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE
Accounts Payable Accountant
Jeddah, KSA
Manager - Commercial Governance (16 months)
Dubai, UAE
OpenText Extended ECM (xECM) Consultant / Developer
Dubai, UAE