At a Glance
- Tasks: Build and ship AI systems in complex environments, turning real business problems into solutions.
- Company: Join a leading tech consultancy specialising in digital transformation and AI adoption.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, hybrid work model, and opportunities for contract extensions based on performance.
- Other info: Collaborate closely with clients and stakeholders in a dynamic, hands-on role.
- Why this job: Make a tangible impact in AI adoption while working with cutting-edge technologies.
- Qualifications: Solid back-end development skills and experience with large language models.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Who we are: Blackstone are a technical consultancy who specialise in digital transformation and complex technical deliveries. 15 years ago that meant Cloud adoption. 10 years ago it was DevOps. 5 years ago, SRE and platform engineering. We still cover all of that, but a lot of our work right now is AI adoption. And we mean actual AI adoption in production in Enterprises.
The pace and impact of each wave keeps accelerating, but we think successful adoption still comes down to two things: people and constraints. What does transformation actually look like inside the limits of an organisation, and how do we bring the people along for it?
The role: This is a hands-on contract embedded in live customer delivery. You'll build and ship AI systems in complex, high-stakes environments, not run proof-of-concepts that quietly die before they reach production. From the architecture of RAG pipelines to the evaluation harnesses that prove they work, the work is yours to own.
You'll work closely with delivery managers, solution architects and client stakeholders, turning real business problems into AI that does the job. You'll bring engineering discipline to a space that often lacks it, and help shape how we deliver AI at scale.
What we're looking for:
- Solid back-end development. You write clean, production-grade code that other people can maintain, test and build on.
- Real experience building and running evaluation harnesses to measure LLM performance, output quality and regression.
- A deep, working understanding of large language models: how they behave, where they break, and how to engineer around it.
- Proven RAG experience, including chunking, embedding choices and retrieval tuning.
- Enterprise client exposure. You're comfortable in complex stakeholder environments with governance, compliance and security in the mix.
- Hands-on with Azure AI Foundry or equivalent Azure AI services, covering deployment, monitoring and integration.
- Strong context engineering, designing prompts and context windows that are robust and repeatable.
- A systematic approach to prompting. You test, iterate and document rather than guess.
Nice to have:
- Production AI agents: tool use, memory, and orchestration with the likes of LangChain, Semantic Kernel or AutoGen.
- Familiarity with agentic design patterns, including multi-step reasoning, planning loops and safe agent behaviour in regulated settings.
- Fine-tuning or model adaptation for domain-specific use cases.
The details: £competitive, Outside IR35, Hybrid, a mix of remote and on-site with the client as the engagement requires. Negotiable. 6 months to start, with extensions expected based on performance and how the project develops. Start date to be agreed, though we'd like to move quickly for the right person.
If you take engineering seriously, stay curious about AI without losing your scepticism, and like the idea of your work being visible in a small team, we'd like to hear from you.
AI Engineer - Contract - Remote (UK Based) in Bolton employer: Blackstone& London
At Blackstone&, we pride ourselves on being a forward-thinking technical consultancy that champions digital transformation, particularly in the realm of AI adoption. Our collaborative work culture fosters innovation and encourages continuous learning, providing employees with ample opportunities for professional growth while working on impactful projects in complex environments. With a competitive contract structure and a hybrid work model, we ensure that our team members can thrive both remotely and on-site, making meaningful contributions to real-world challenges.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land AI Engineer - Contract - Remote (UK Based) in Bolton
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with folks in the AI space! Attend meetups, webinars, or even just chat with people on LinkedIn. Building relationships can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Show Off Your Skills
Don’t just tell us what you can do; show us! Create a portfolio of your projects, especially those involving AI systems. Having tangible examples of your work can really set you apart from the crowd.
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your coding skills and understanding large language models. Be ready to discuss your past experiences and how they relate to the role. Confidence is key!
✨Apply Through Our Website
We love seeing applications come through our website! It shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team. Plus, it makes it easier for us to keep track of your application and get back to you quickly.
We think you need these skills to ace AI Engineer - Contract - Remote (UK Based) in Bolton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Skills:When you're writing your application, make sure to highlight your back-end development experience and any hands-on work with AI systems. We want to see how you've tackled real-world problems and what you can bring to the table!
Be Specific About Your Experience:Don't just say you've worked with large language models; tell us about the specific projects you've been involved in. Mention any evaluation harnesses you've built or RAG experiences you've had. The more detail, the better!
Tailor Your Application:Make sure your application speaks directly to the job description. Use the same language and terms we use, like 'AI adoption' and 'production-grade code'. This shows us that you understand what we're looking for and that you're a good fit.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you get all the updates. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Blackstone& London
✨Know Your AI Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of large language models and RAG pipelines. Be ready to discuss how they work, where they can fail, and how you've tackled these challenges in the past. This will show that you're not just familiar with the theory but have real-world experience.
✨Showcase Your Coding Skills
Prepare to demonstrate your back-end development skills. Bring examples of clean, production-grade code you've written, and be ready to explain your thought process behind it. This is your chance to prove you can write maintainable code that others can build on.
✨Understand the Client Environment
Familiarise yourself with the complexities of working in enterprise environments. Be prepared to discuss how you've navigated governance, compliance, and security issues in previous roles. This will help you connect with the interviewers and show that you can handle their specific challenges.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Your Approach
Have a systematic approach to prompting and context engineering ready to share. Talk about how you test, iterate, and document your processes. This will demonstrate your engineering discipline and your ability to deliver AI solutions at scale.
