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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team building AI infrastructure and scalable backend systems.
- Company: Join Lightricks, a cutting-edge tech company in the heart of London.
- Benefits: Enjoy stock options, private medical insurance, and generous paid time off.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in AI while mentoring a talented engineering team.
- Qualifications: 6+ years in backend engineering with leadership experience; Python skills preferred.
- Other info: Hybrid work model with a vibrant office atmosphere and growth opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Location: London, UK (Hybrid – 3 days on-site)
About the Role
Lightricks is looking for a hands-on ML Platform Engineering Manager to lead a small, high-impact backend engineering team building the infrastructure that powers large-scale AI and generative video systems. This role sits at the intersection of machine learning, backend engineering, and production infrastructure. You will work closely with research teams to take advanced ML models from prototype to production, ensuring they can be served reliably and efficiently at scale.
While this is a people-management role, technical depth and hands-on contribution are critical. The ideal profile is a senior engineer or tech lead who has started leading teams but still wants to remain deeply involved in system design, architecture, and implementation. Candidates focused primarily on people management without strong technical engagement will not be a fit.
The team is distributed, with engineers based in the UK and Israel, and includes a rotating on-call responsibility shared across the group.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead and mentor a team of backend engineers responsible for ML and AI platform infrastructure
- Design, build, and evolve scalable backend systems that support ML model serving and inference at scale
- Own the end-to-end lifecycle of ML platform components, from research handoff to production deployment
- Make architectural decisions for distributed, cloud-based systems with high availability and performance requirements
- Collaborate closely with ML researchers to enable fast experimentation and smooth productionization of models
- Establish best practices for reliability, observability, deployment, and operational excellence
- Participate in an on-call rotation to support critical production systems
- Support team growth through technical guidance, code reviews, and mentorship
Skills & Experience
- 6+ years of backend engineering experience, with 1–3 years in a technical leadership or engineering management role
- Strong backend development skills, ideally with Python, and experience designing scalable APIs and services
- Proven experience building and operating distributed systems in cloud environments
- Solid understanding of system scalability, performance tuning, monitoring, and observability
- Experience leading small engineering teams while remaining hands-on in design and implementation
- Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including ML research and product
- Exposure to ML model serving, GPU-based systems, or ML infrastructure is a strong plus
- Comfortable working with distributed teams across time zones
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent technical background
Benefits
- Stock options
- Private medical insurance (including optical and dental coverage for you and your family)
- Life assurance
- Annual wellbeing and professional development allowance
- Free on-site meals, snacks, and drinks
- Pension contributions
- Generous paid time off
- Hybrid and flexible working model
- Modern office space in central London
- Enhanced parental leave
- Cycle-to-work scheme and season ticket loan
ML Platform Engineering Manager in London employer: Aptonet
Contact Detail:
Aptonet Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land ML Platform Engineering Manager in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company and its tech stack, especially around ML and backend systems. Show them you’re not just a fit on paper but also passionate about what they do.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t shy away from showcasing your hands-on experience. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you’ve tackled challenges in system design and architecture.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step.
We think you need these skills to ace ML Platform Engineering Manager in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the ML Platform Engineering Manager role. Highlight your backend engineering experience, leadership roles, and any hands-on projects you've worked on that relate to machine learning.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've led teams, designed scalable systems, or collaborated with cross-functional teams. Make it personal and engaging!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t shy away from showcasing your technical depth! Include details about your experience with Python, distributed systems, and any relevant ML infrastructure work. We want to see your hands-on contributions shine through.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Aptonet
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your backend engineering skills, especially in Python. Be ready to discuss your experience with scalable APIs and distributed systems, as these are crucial for the role. Prepare to share specific examples of how you've tackled challenges in system design and architecture.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Since this role involves leading a team, think about your management style and how you can support team growth. Be prepared to discuss how you've mentored engineers in the past and how you balance hands-on work with leadership responsibilities. Highlight any successful projects where your guidance made a difference.
✨Understand the ML Landscape
Familiarise yourself with machine learning concepts, especially around model serving and productionisation. You might be asked about your experience working with ML researchers, so be ready to explain how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams to bring models from research to production.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills in real-world situations. Think about how you would handle high availability and performance issues in cloud environments. Practising these scenarios will help you articulate your thought process clearly during the interview.
