Senior AI Engineer | Production AI | Python | LLMs

Objective: Build AI that solves real-world operational problems. About: We are a very innovative technology company looking to hire our first Senior Applied AI Engineer to help shape and productionise the next generation of AI-powered decision support systems. This isn't another role building chatbots or internal knowledge-base assistants. Instead, you'll be working on AI systems that combine Large Language Models, simulation, live operational data and complex reasoning to help users evaluate multiple courses of action and make better decisions in challenging real-world environments. Joining at this stage offers a rare opportunity to help define how AI is engineered across the business. The Opportunity * As the company's first senior AI specialist, you'll play a key role in taking AI capabilities from prototype to production. * You'll help shape technical direction, engineering standards, evaluation methodologies and AI workflows while working alongside an experienced software engineering team building a genuinely innovative platform. * If you enjoy solving difficult engineering problems, experimenting with new technologies and building things properly rather than simply wrapping APIs, this is the type of role that doesn't come along very often. What You'll Be Doing • Designing and building production AI systems • Developing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines • Creating AI evaluation and benchmarking frameworks • Prompt orchestration and workflow design • Fine-tuning models for specific use cases • Integrating LLMs into production software • Working with complex, real-world datasets • Collaborating closely with software engineers to deliver production-ready AI features • Helping establish AI engineering standards, tooling and best practices What We're Looking For You'll have strong commercial experience with many of the following: • Python • Large Language Models (LLMs) • Production AI systems • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) • AI evaluation frameworks • Prompt orchestration • Fine-tuning models • Shipping AI-powered products into production You'll also enjoy working in an environment where you'll have genuine ownership, influence technical direction and help build an AI capability from the ground up. Nice To Have • Distributed systems • Simulation • Robotics • Spatial data • Defence technology • Optimisation or planning systems Package • £90,000 - £115,000 salary (possible higher for someone exceptional) • Equity \& Strong Benefits • Hybrid working (London) • Opportunity to build the company's AI capability from the ground up • Work on technically challenging, real-world AI problems • High levels of ownership and technical influence If you're an experienced Applied AI Engineer looking for something more challenging than another chatbot project, we'd be delighted to talk to you.