Kearney Activate AI Engineer

Job Description

Kearney Activate AI Engineer

About the Role 

As a Junior Applied AI Solution Engineer, you will work as part of a cross-functional teams to design, build, and deploy AI-driven applications. Particularly those leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs), agents, and other modern AI techniques.This is a hands-on, client-facing engineering role where you will contribute to solution design, development, testing, and delivery.

You will work closely with senior engineers and client teams, gaining exposure to real-world AI solution engineering. As you grow in the role, you will take on more ownership, from end-to-end delivery to advising clients on AI opportunities and best practices.

Our teams primarily build solutions using existing foundational models (closed and open source), sometimes with light fine-tuning. We do not train foundational models from scratch.

Your Responsibilities

1. AI Solution Development

• Assist in building AI-powered applications, especially those involving LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, and autonomous agents.

• Support the design and hands-on implementation of end-to-end solutions with guidance from senior engineers.

• Help integrate AI components into micro services, APIs, and client-facing applications.

2. Agent & Workflow Development

• Support the creation of multi-step reasoning agents using LangGraph or LangChain Agents.

• Implement tool-calling, memory, and routing logic.

• Evaluate agent behavior and improve reliability over iterations.

3. Client Collaboration & Communication

• Participate in conversations with clients to understand their challenges, use cases, and requirements.

• Help translate business needs into feasible AI/ML solution components.

• Support senior engineers in presenting solution concepts and explaining AI capabilities in accessible terms.

4. Technical Problem-Solving

• Contribute to solving technical issues encountered during development and implementation.

• Identify blockers and escalate complex challenges to senior engineers and R&D teams.

• Assist in documenting learnings and reusable patterns for future solutions.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with technical and non-technical teams to ensure solutions are aligned with client expectations.

• Provide input into product, data, and design discussions where AI components a\ect the user experience.

6. Continuous Learning & Growth

• Stay informed about new models, AI tools, frameworks, and best practices.

• Proactively learn new technologies and explore innovative ways to apply AI to real-world

problems.

• Experiment with new open-source models, orchestration frameworks, and retrieval techniques.

• Share findings and help improve team practices.

Who you Are

You have hands-on experience or strong foundational knowledge in several of the following areas:

• Python programming and data technologies (SQL, APIs, basic data pipelines).

• Building small-scale microservices or automation scripts.

• Working with LLM APIs (Azure OpenAI, Gemini, Hugging Face, Anthropic).

• Exposure to GenAI concepts (prompting, embeddings, finetuning, vector search)

• Basic experience with RAG development and knowledge retrieval

• Understanding of model fine-tuning, vector stores, embeddings concepts.

• Ability to design simple solution architectures using Python & cloud tools.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset.

• Willingness to learn new technologies when the project requires it.

Client-Facing Mindset

Even at a junior level, you should feel comfortable and excited to grow in these areas:

• Communicating clearly with non-technical audiences.

• Translating business needs into technical requirements (with support).

• Understanding business processes and identifying where AI can add value.

Personal Traits

• Adaptable & Self-Motivated: You are proactive, resourceful, and able to operate independently with minimal handholding.

• Passionate & Positive: You are genuinely excited about AI and its potential to transform industries.

• Creative & Curious: You keep up with AI developments and enjoy experimenting with new tools and methods.

• Ethical & Responsible: You understand the importance of safe, fair, and responsible AI implementation.

Nice to Have

• Experience with building data pipelines, preparing and indexing datasets, and implementing embedding generation and retrieval evaluation for GenAI applications

• Exposure to MLOps, Docker, CI/CD, or cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)

• Hands-on work with agent workflows or multi-step reasoning models

• “Vibe coding” skills - fast prototyping, AI-assisted development, improvisational coding

What We Offer

• Direct experience building real-world AI applications.

• Mentorship from experienced AI engineers and architects.

• Opportunities to work directly with clients across industries.

• Access to cutting-edge AI tools, platforms, and training.

• A growth path toward leading solution delivery and advisory work.

Why Join Kearney Activate

• Transformative Impact – Lead next-generation data and AI architecture projects that redefine how enterprises operate and compete.
• Innovation at Scale – Work at the forefront of Generative and Agentic AI within an established global consulting network.
•  Learning & Growth – Access deep technical training, leadership development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration opportunities.
• Collaborative Culture – Join a diverse, hands-on, and high-energy team that thrives on innovation and real-world impact.
• Purposeful Work – Help global enterprises build intelligent systems that connect data, AI, and business outcomes.

Compesnsation Range: $130k-$190k. It is important to note that at Kearney, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role. Individual salaries within each range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills. Kearney reviews compensation regularly and may adjust base salaries to reflect market competitiveness.  In addition to salary, individuals may be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus. Our full suite of benefits includes paid time off, 401(k) match and profit sharing, medical, dental and vision coverage, healthcare concierge, backup child/adult care, annual employer HSA contribution, home office stipend, subsidized Gympass and annual wellness program, and leaves of absence when needed to support employees’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  

Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination 

Kearney prides itself on providing a culture that allows employees to bring their best selves to work every day. Our people can feel comfortable, confident, and joyful to do great things for our firm, our colleagues, and our clients. Kearney aims to build diverse capabilities to help our clients solve their most mission critical problems.  Kearney is committed to building a diverse, unbiased and inclusive workforce. Kearney is an equal opportunity employer; we recruit, hire, train, promote, develop, and provide other conditions of employment without regard to a person’s gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information or any other differences consistent with applicable laws. This includes providing reasonable accommodation for disabilities, or religious beliefs and practices. Members of communities historically underrepresented in consulting are encouraged to apply.