Senior AI/ML Cloud Engineering Consultant

We’re hiring a Senior AI/ML Cloud Engineering ConsultantEmployment Type: Full Time/Direct Hire Only (No Agencies)Location: Atlanta, GA Metro, Washington DC Metro, Charlotte Metro, NYC, or Richmond, VALocation Type: Hybrid - Home Office/Local Ippon office (1-2 days per week onsite)
About Ippon:The Ippon story started in 2002 in Paris, France - cue in the accordion. Our founder and CEO Stéphane Nomis used his unique experience as an international Judo champion to create a culture based on the sports values of ambition and excellence. Our USA Headquarters office is located in Richmond, VA, with additional offices in New York, NY,  Washington DC, and Atlanta, GA. We are a technology consulting firm that specializes in helping accelerate our client’s digital roadmap in the areas of Product Management, Cloud, Data, and Software Engineering. Our culture and reputation is driven by our COACH values; our Ipponites are Collaborative, Open-minded, Adaptable, Courageous, and Hungry. 
About the position:We are seeking a Senior AI/ML Cloud Engineering Consultant to lead the design, implementation, and optimization of advanced AI/ML solutions on AWS, with a focus on Kubernetes and MLFlow for production-grade MLOps environments. This role combines technical expertise with consulting acumen, working closely with client stakeholders to assess needs, architect scalable and secure AI/ML systems, and ensure successful delivery. The Senior AI/ML Cloud Engineering Consultant will collaborate across teams, mentor junior engineers, contribute to pre-sales efforts, and represent Ippon as a trusted partner, requiring excellent communication skills, strategic thinking, and a passion for impactful, client-focused solutions.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Project Delivery:
• Collaborate with client and internal stakeholders to assess existing infrastructure, applications, and data workflows, including ML workloads, to determine requirements for modernization and MLOps integration.
• Design and implement scalable, secure AI/ML pipelines using MLFlow and related tools on AWS.
• Deploy, configure, and manage Kubernetes clusters (both managed, e.g., EKS, and unmanaged) for production-grade AI/ML workloads.
• Develop and maintain robust DevOps pipelines to automate ML model training, deployment, and monitoring in cloud environments.
• Troubleshoot implementations and understand how to work with templates (e.g. Bogie), Jenkins logs, and implementations of LangChain and LangGraph in Python
• Independently seek and explore solutions to roadblocks before escalating
• Create detailed migration or modernization plans outlining approach, timeline, resources, dependencies, and risks.
• Evaluate applications and workloads for cloud and ML compatibility, identifying any modifications needed for seamless transitions.
• Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles to provision and manage cloud resources and AI/ML infrastructure reliably.
• Ensure adherence to best practices in cloud security, compliance, networking, and performance optimization.
• Communicate project plans, progress, and outcomes effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.


• Leadership & Client Development:
• Serve as the primary point of contact for client technical stakeholders, building trusted relationships and ensuring high levels of satisfaction throughout engagements.
• Advise senior stakeholders by translating complex business problems into actionable AI/ML cloud architectures and solutions.
• Contribute actively in agile ceremonies, including stand-ups, sprint planning, and retrospectives, modeling effective team participation.
• Mentor and coach consultants and junior engineers on AI/ML concepts, Kubernetes, DevOps, and cloud best practices, fostering a collaborative team culture.
• Support pre-sales activities by interpreting client needs, scoping solutions, estimating efforts, and presenting proposals to prospective clients.
• Promote the Ippon brand through thought leadership activities, including blogging, speaking engagements, and participation in conferences and industry events.
• Identify opportunities to expand engagement scope, collaborating with Client Success and Sales teams to formalize new projects.

Competencies we are looking for:

• Minimum Requirements:
• 5+ years of professional experience in cloud engineering, AI/ML engineering, or MLOps, with a track record of delivering solutions in AWS environments.
• 5+ years demonstrated expertise deploying and managing Kubernetes clusters (both EKS and unmanaged).
• 2+ years hands-on experience with MLFlow or equivalent ML lifecycle management tools.
• 2+ years developing, maintaining, and debugging DevOps pipelines to support ML workflows.
• Deep expertise in DevOps practices, and modern cloud architecture.
• Proficiency with container orchestration, Kubernetes, and cloud-native design principles.
• Strong foundation in scripting (e.g., Python, Bash) and automation frameworks.
• Solid understanding of networking, cloud security, and scalability best practices.
• Experience working effectively in agile Scrum settings, with consistent contributions to stand-ups and team activities.
• Demonstrated ability to advise senior stakeholders and communicate directly with clients and internal teams.
• Ability to self-direct, conduct technical discovery, and work independently or collaboratively


• Preferred Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Prior consulting experience advising enterprise clients on AI/ML strategies and cloud-native architectures.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional or equivalent advanced AWS certifications.
• Advanced knowledge of Kubernetes ecosystem tools such as Helm, ArgoCD, or Istio.
• Experience with additional MLOps tools (e.g., Kubeflow, SageMaker).
• Familiarity with security and compliance standards, encryption technologies, and disaster recovery best practices in cloud-based ML environments.
• Team lead or technical lead experience on AI/ML or cloud engineering projects.
• Proven consulting skills with the ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively across teams and with clients.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to clearly articulate technical solutions and recommendations to both technical and business audiences.

What we offer:

• Great salary and benefits - Health (HDHP & PPO Plans), dental, and vision insurance, HSA, EAP, as well as a 401k with company match
• Work/life balance - Ippon offers generous PTO, parental leave, medical leave, and flexible schedules
• A fun, creative, and healthy work environment, focused on teamwork, knowledge-sharing, and exceptional delivery
• Opportunities to expand your portfolio and work with different companies and industries
• Career growth, up-skilling, cross-training, and leadership opportunities

We value the diversity and different perspectives each of our employees bring to Ippon Technologies.
Ippon Technologies is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, veteran, or disability status.
Visit us on LinkedIn or at https://ipponusa.com to learn more.
So, do YOU speak Ippon?