Senior Applied AI Engineer / Forward Deployed Engineer

Overview Location: Fully Remote (Client team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota) Work Arrangement: Fully Remote Build the Future of Enterprise AI with Microsoft Copilot Are you someone who knows how to get real value out of Microsoft Copilot—and also knows when it’s time to go beyond out‑of‑the‑box features? Trissential is hiring a Senior AI Engineer to join our client’s team and design production‑ready AI systems that start inside the Microsoft Copilot ecosystem and extend into custom, enterprise‑grade architectures. This role is perfect for an engineer who enjoys blending platform‑native Copilot capabilities with custom AI engineering, delivering solutions that are secure, scalable, and grounded in real enterprise data. What’s in It for You? Copilot-First, Engineering-Driven Work – Design solutions that begin in Microsoft Copilot and evolve into robust AI systems when business needs demand more Enterprise-Scale Impact – Build AI solutions that integrate deeply with Microsoft 365, Azure, and enterprise data sources Technical Ownership – Shape architecture decisions across RAG pipelines, backend services, and Copilot extensions Remote Flexibility – Work fully remote while collaborating with experienced enterprise stakeholders Meaningful AI Work – Focus on production systems, not experimental or demo-only agent frameworks Your Role & Responsibilities Design and implement solutions using Microsoft Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Azure OpenAI Extend Copilot capabilities through custom engineering, including backend APIs and retrieval systems Build and maintain LLM-powered services that support Copilot extensions and standalone enterprise use cases Design and implement retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, including: • Document ingestion and normalization Chunking, metadata, and embedding strategies Indexing using vector and hybrid search approaches Implement hybrid retrieval strategies (keyword + vector + reranking) for grounded AI outputs Integrate AI solutions with enterprise systems such as SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, SQL, and internal APIs Design systems with clear attention to: • Security and data access boundaries Reliability and failure handling Performance, latency, and cost efficiency in Azure Establish evaluation, monitoring, and quality metrics for Copilot and LLM-based systems Collaborate with client stakeholders to translate business needs into Copilot-first, extensible AI solutions Skills & Experience You Should Possess 5+ years of experience in software engineering, AI/ML systems, or enterprise platforms Hands-on experience within the Microsoft Copilot ecosystem Practical experience with Azure OpenAI Service Strong Python skills and experience building production APIs (FastAPI, Flask, or similar) Experience designing and implementing RAG-based systems Solid understanding of prompt design, context management, and grounding techniques Experience integrating AI solutions with enterprise data sources Comfort working in secure, governed enterprise environments Bonus Points If You Have Production experience with Azure AI Search (Cognitive Search) Experience designing Copilot extensions backed by custom RAG systems Familiarity with orchestration frameworks such as LangChain or LlamaIndex (used pragmatically) Experience implementing reranking and relevance tuning Experience with LLM evaluation frameworks (groundedness, accuracy, reliability) Prior consulting or enterprise client experience Familiarity with Azure AI Foundry or similar tooling Education & Certifications You Need Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) Microsoft or Azure certifications are preferred but not required What We Offer At Trissential, we partner with industry‑leading clients to deliver impactful, enterprise‑ready technology solutions—while ensuring our consultants are supported, valued, and set up for success. Competitive Compensation – $75–$85 per hour. Final compensation is determined based on skill alignment, years of experience, and fair, market‑based rates by geography. Comprehensive Benefits for you and your dependents – Medical, dental, vision, free tele‑health, HSA with company contribution, life and disability insurance, and 401k with matching Paid Time Off –Offers ffer paid time away from work Fully Remote Work – Collaborate with top engineers and stakeholders from anywhere in the U.S. Enterprise Exposure – Work on real, production AI systems at scale Supportive Consulting Culture – Transparent communication, strong delivery support, and career advocacy Ready to Build Copilot Solutions That Actually Scale? If you’re excited about building Copilot-first AI systems that are thoughtfully extended with real engineering rigor, we’d love to hear from you. This role is open only to candidates authorized to work in the United States. Apply today and take the next step in your AI engineering career with Trissential.