AI Cloud Engineer

Azure AI Cloud Engineer London (Hybrid): Onsite 4:1 WFH £635.63pd Umbrella Rate We're seeking a forward-thinking engineer ready to sit at the absolute intersection of Cloud Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence within this international banking group. This is a unique opportunity to join a small, dynamic team within a leading financial services institution as they evolve their digital engineering capabilities. You will play a pivotal role in building the secure, scalable foundations that underpin critical banking services, transitioning from traditional cloud functions into a high-impact AI enablement powerhouse. In this hands-on role, you will design and develop bespoke cloud and AI solutions, primarily focusing on Azure while expanding into Oracle Cloud and AWS. You will be the bridge between platforms and software engineering, applying rigorous discipline to deliver automated, sustainable patterns that meet complex regulatory and security standards.Your Key Responsibilities

• Design & Deliver: Architect and implement cloud and AI-ready solutions on Azure, building repeatable patterns and integration services that support next-generation workloads.
• Secure AI Architecture: Develop and scale secure infrastructure architectures that allow applications to safely access both cloud-based backend services and on-premises data sources.
• Enforce Governance & Guardrails: Operationalise strict zero-trust governance controls, including robust API management structures to log every single user prompt and completion for full auditability.
• Engineering Excellence: Drive automation through Infrastructure-as-Code (Bicep, Terraform) and CI/CD pipelines, while maintaining REST APIs and identity-aware solution patterns.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Act as a credible technical bridge between business analysts and senior front-office teams (including electronic trading platforms). You will confidently take business requirements, map out constraints, and articulate complex technical limitations to non-technical stakeholders.

Skills & Experience Required

• Production-Level Azure Infrastructure: Deep hands-on experience with core Azure services, PaaS, and Infrastructure-as-Code (Bicep, ARM, or Terraform). You must be hit-the-ground-running at a senior level; the team does not have the capacity to train on core Azure mechanics.
• AI Engineering (Beyond the Basics): Real-world enterprise experience designing and deploying solutions centred around agentic workflows, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and vectorisation patterns, rather than purely self-taught or personal interest projects.
• Software Engineering & Tech Stack: High proficiency in Python and PowerShell for building automation frameworks, REST APIs, and identity flows. Production exposure to the OpenAI SDK, GPT models, and Palantir Foundry is highly desirable.
• Identity & Regulated Security: Exceptional understanding of Entra ID, IAM patterns, and implementing rigorous security controls. Experience within a highly regulated environment such as banking, insurance, or healthcare is essential.
• Qualifications: You should ideally hold an Azure certification (AZ-104 or higher)

This is more than just an infrastructure role; it is a chance to influence a global cloud strategy and gain exposure to multi-cloud environments during a major AI transformation. If you thrive in a results-driven environment and want to make a tangible impact on the future of FinTech, we want to hear from you. If you've held any of these roles or used these technologies/skills, this role could be a great fit: Cloud Engineer, AI Engineer, Azure Architect, Platform Engineer, DevOps Engineer, Python Developer, Azure OpenAI, Bicep, Terraform, Entra ID, Generative AI Integration, and FinTech Cloud Specialist.

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