Principal (Forward Deployed AI Engineer) United States - BCG X

About the Role

Our BCG X teams own the full analytics value-chain end-to-end: framing new business challenges, designing innovative algorithms, implementing, and deploying scalable solutions, and enabling colleagues and clients to fully embrace AI. Our product offerings span from fully custom builds to industry-specific leading-edge AI software solutions.

As a Principal (Forward Deployed AI Engineer), you’ll be part of our rapidly growing engineering team and help build the next generation of AI solutions. You’ll partner with clients across BCG regions and industries on key topics like climate change, enabling them to design, build, and deploy new and innovative solutions. You will also develop and deliver thought leadership in scientific communities, lead conferences, and shape the strategy of BCG X and BCG overall. Additional responsibilities include managing teams of AI scientists, engineers, and designers, as well as driving growth and business development alongside partners and managing directors.

Successful candidates are intellectually curious builders who are biased toward action, scrappy, and communicative. We seek builder-type developers with a strong foundation in AI/ML, including GenAI (LLMs, LangChain), and experience in either data engineering or modern full-stack development. The ideal candidate is a passionate software engineer eager to apply advanced technologies to help organizations become AI-led and innovation-driven.

Responsibilities

• Partner with clients to design, build, and deploy AI solutions across industries and regions.
• Develop and deliver thought leadership through scientific papers and conference presentations.
• Lead and manage teams of AI scientists, engineers, and designers.
• Shape the strategy of BCG X and BCG overall, working closely with partners and managing directors to drive growth and business development.
• Apply software development practices and standards to create robust, maintainable software.
• Guide non-technical teams and consultants in best practices for software development.
• Optimize and enhance the computational efficiency of algorithms and software design.
• Act as an interface between business and technology teams for clients.
• Manage client relationships and engagements, providing thought leadership to teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's, master's, or PhD in engineering or a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Proven experience architecting and deploying AI/GenAI solutions, including Agentic AI systems, at enterprise scale.
• Experience working with Large Language Models (LLMs), including platforms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or open-source models.
• Proficiency in Python and full-stack development using React, JavaScript, TypeScript, with experience in CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with storage, manipulation, and management of relational, non-relational, and streaming data structures.
• Experience building and deploying production systems on major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) is a plus.
• Strong record of professional accomplishment and leadership, with demonstrated ability to lead projects and teams.
• Proven ability to drive topics and make a commercial impact.
• Strong communication skills to guide non-technical stakeholders in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment.
• Comfortable in a client-facing role, managing engagements and relationships.

Locations

Boston | New York | Brooklyn | Chicago | Miami | Dallas | San Francisco | Seattle | Manhattan Beach | Pittsburgh | Los Angeles

About Us

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. Founded in 1963, BCG pioneered business strategy and now helps clients with total transformation—inspiring complex change, enabling growth, building competitive advantage, and driving bottom-line impact.

BCG X is a diverse team of over 3,000 tech experts united by a drive to make a difference. We combine experience and expertise to tackle society’s biggest challenges, creating innovative solutions that positively impact millions. Leveraging BCG’s global network and partnerships, BCG X provides an ecosystem for talent to build game-changing businesses, products, and services from the ground up while growing their careers.

Pay

The first-year base compensation for this role is $252,900 USD.

Benefits

• Zero-dollar ($0) health insurance premiums for employees, spouses, and children, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Low $10 (USD) copays for doctor visits, urgent care, and generic prescriptions.
• Dental coverage, including up to $5,000 in orthodontia benefits.
• Vision insurance covering glasses and contact lenses annually.
• Reimbursement for gym memberships and other fitness activities.
• Fully vested profit-sharing retirement fund contributions made annually, plus optional 401(k) contributions.
• Paid parental leave and family benefits, including elective egg freezing, surrogacy, and adoption reimbursement.
• 12 paid holidays per year, an annual office closure between Christmas and New Year’s, and 15 vacation days per year (earned at 1.25 days per month).
• Paid sick time on an as-needed basis.

Employees, spouses, and children are covered at no cost. Employees share in the cost of domestic partner coverage.

Schedule

• This role may require extended working hours and travel to client sites.
• You must live within a reasonable commuting distance of your home office and be available to work in the office as directed.