Technical Expert (SME)

Crossing Hurdles is a global recruitment firm partnering with US-based technology companies to hire senior, high-impact talent across engineering, data, and AI. We work closely with leadership teams to identify experts who can drive complex, mission-critical initiatives at scale. Location: Hybrid / Onsite Experience: 12+ years Employment Type: Contract Seniority: Senior / Principal / Expert IC About the Role We are seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) / Technical Expert with deep experience in building and scaling data-driven and AI-based systems. This role is designed for highly experienced technologists who combine hands-on technical depth with strategic thinking, and who have previously worked at organizations such as Google, Microsoft, or Palantir. You will play a critical role in shaping the architecture, deployment, and evolution of next-generation AI and data platforms, including agentic AI systems used in high-stakes environments. What You’ll Be Working On • Architecting and leading the design of scalable data and AI platforms, ensuring reliability, performance, and security across distributed systems • Designing and deploying agentic AI solutions—autonomous or semi-autonomous systems capable of reasoning, decision-making, and adaptive task execution • Providing technical thought leadership across data architecture, analytics, and AI system design • Collaborating cross-functionally with data scientists, engineers, and product teams to deliver end-to-end intelligent systems • Evaluating and integrating advanced tools and platforms such as GCP, Vertex AI, and LangChain-based frameworks • Mentoring and guiding teams on best practices in AI governance, data management, and responsible AI deployment Required Skills & Experience • 12+ years of experience in technology, data engineering, AI/ML, or large-scale distributed systems • Strong proficiency in Python, Java, or Scala • Extensive experience with data pipelines, AI/ML workflows, and microservices architectures • Deep expertise in LLMs, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and agentic AI systems • Proven experience building or scaling intelligent agents or AI-driven decision systems • Strong system design, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills • Prior experience at Palantir, Google, or Microsoft (or equivalent environments) Preferred Qualifications • Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, or a related field • Prior experience leading or mentoring teams in AI/ML innovation or data strategy • Familiarity with agentic orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGPT, or similar • Exposure to mission-critical systems in domains such as defense, finance, or large-scale enterprise platforms Why This Role • Operate at the highest technical impact level without people-management constraints • Shape and influence enterprise-scale AI strategy and architecture • Work on high-stakes, real-world AI systems where outcomes matter • Partner closely with senior technical and business stakeholders