AI Engineer

Senior AI Engineer | Government Sector

Status: Fixed term contract with strong potential of a permanent opportunity after 12 months

Location: Hybrid - Surrey

Project: Architecture to Production

The Role

This is not a "learning" role or a step up for a mid-level engineer. We are looking for a heavyweight AI Engineer to join a genuinely novel project in the governmental sector. You will be working on a platform that does not currently exist in the market-taking it from initial architecture through to production deployment and post-live iteration.

You aren't just building prototypes; you are shipping production-grade AI systems that will have a real-world impact on public safety.

The Technical Core

• Production LLM Integration: You must have hands-on experience integrating LLMs into live production systems (not just wrappers or demos).

• Agentic Layer Development: Design and build experience is essential. We need someone who understands the orchestration of agents at a deep, architectural level.

• The Microsoft Stack: High proficiency in Azure and Python is non-negotiable.

• Full Lifecycle Ownership: You will own the process from the drawing board to deployment. You should be as comfortable discussing architecture as you are debugging in production.

Technical "Nice to Haves"

• Experience with Microsoft Fabric.

• Deep dives into Azure AI Search or vector store implementation.

• Exposure to multiple LLM providers (beyond just OpenAI).

• Experience with IoT or event-driven data pipelines.

• Robust API development skills.

What We Are NOT Looking For

To save potential candidates time, this role is not a fit for:

• Pure Data Scientists: If you don't have engineering depth and "production" experience, this isn't for you.

• Tool/Vendor Specialists: We need broad architectural thinkers, not just "connector" specialists.

• Outside IR35 Only: This is an FTC engagement with a clear permanent home at the end.

The Vetting Process

When we speak, I will ask you to walk me through your most complex AI delivery. My client is specifically looking for:

1. How you moved from POC to Production.

2. The architectural hurdles you overcame.

3. The "agentic" logic you implemented.

If your experience is primarily theoretical or limited to POCs, this may not be a good fit. We need a "done-it-before" specialist ready to hit the ground running on a mission-critical project.

Engagement Details

• Engagement: FTC Preferred

• Location: Hybrid with travel to Surrey

• Future: This role has a clear permanent trajectory for the right individual.

Ready to build something that actually matters? Let's talk.