At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead AI engineering initiatives and shape the future of AI solutions at Boots.
- Company: Join Boots, a leading health and beauty retailer with a commitment to innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible benefits, generous discounts, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Opportunities for mentorship and career growth within a collaborative culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in AI while advancing your career in a dynamic team.
- Qualifications: Experience in AI or software engineering and strong communication skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Role: AI Engineering Lead
What you’ll be doing
As the AI Engineering Lead at Boots, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI solutions within the organisation.
You will provide technical leadership and establish engineering standards that ensure our AI applications are secure, scalable, and production-ready.
Collaborating with various teams, you will help define how AI solutions are developed and deployed, making a significant impact on our operational efficiency and innovation.
You will be part of the AI Enablement team and play a key role in building and maturing Boots' AI engineering capability.
Reporting to the Head of Smart Automation, the role will provide technical leadership across AI engineering, helping establish the standards, frameworks and practices required to enable the safe and scalable adoption of AI across the organisation.
Working closely with Architecture, Security, Data, Platform Engineering and delivery teams, the role will help define how AI solutions are developed, deployed, monitored and supported in production.
The role will promote consistent engineering approaches while aligning with existing platform ownership, governance and control frameworks.
Key responsibilities
- Define AI engineering standards, patterns, and best practices.
- Evolve the AI engineering roadmap and capability maturity.
- Establish reusable frameworks, accelerators, and engineering assets.
- Lead AI Dev Ops, deployment, monitoring, observability, and operational practices.
- Support the design and delivery of AI solutions, agents and AI-enabled applications.
- Collaborate with Architecture, Security, and Governance teams to develop security, governance and responsible AI guardrails.
- Mentor engineers and enhance AI engineering capability across the organisation.
What you’ll need to have (our must-haves)
- Proven experience in software engineering, platform engineering, or AI engineering within a large enterprise environment.
- Experience designing, developing, and deploying AI or intelligent application solutions.
- Strong understanding of modern engineering practices, including CI/CD and Dev Ops and cloud-based platforms.
- Experience defining technical standards and reusable frameworks.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience working with Architecture, Security, Data, and Engineering teams for delivery and integrations.
- Understanding of AI governance, responsible AI and enterprise security controls.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to balance innovation, risk and operational requirements.
It would be great if you also have
- Experience with Microsoft AI technologies, including Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry and Azure Open AI.
- Knowledge of AI Dev Ops, Agent Ops, or MLOps practices.
- Experience developing AI agents or AI-enabled business applications.
- Relevant cloud, AI, or engineering certifications.
- Experience working in retail, healthcare or other large, complex organisations.
Where your brilliance can take you
In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead and mentor a team of engineers, driving innovation and excellence in AI engineering at Boots.
As you develop your skills and expertise, you can explore various career pathways within the organisation, potentially advancing into senior leadership roles or specialised positions in AI and technology.
Your contributions will not only shape the future of Boots but also enhance your professional growth.
Rewards designed for you
- Boots Retirement Savings Plan
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Generous employee discounts
- Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
- Flexible benefits scheme including option to buy additional holiday, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and much more.
- Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.
There's lots more in our benefits and discounts, My Boosts - there to give you that little lift in your everyday.
Find out more at http://boots. jobs/rewards.
Exclusions may apply; eligible roles only.
Please note that any salary estimates provided on third‑party sites are not endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.
A bit about us
At Boots, we're proud to be an equal opportunity employer, creating a place where everyone feels welcome, supported and free to be themselves.
We believe that when our people feel valued and included, they thrive, so we're committed to creating a brilliant Boots for our people so they can make a difference for our customers and colleagues every time.
Boots is a Ban the Box employer and will consider the suitability of applicants with criminal convictions on a case‑by‑case basis.
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AI Engineering Lead employer: BOOTS
Boots is an exceptional employer, especially for those looking to make a meaningful impact during the festive season. With a strong emphasis on teamwork and customer service, employees enjoy a supportive work culture that fosters personal growth and offers industry-recognised training. Additionally, the generous employee discounts and wellbeing support ensure that staff feel valued and motivated throughout their time with us in London.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land AI Engineering Lead
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at BOOTS or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to BOOTS.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like BOOTS.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like BOOTS that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace AI Engineering Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at BOOTS.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at BOOTS and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at BOOTS
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If BOOTS uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
