AI Engineer in City of London

At Champion Data, our dedicated team are united by sport and driven by data. We strive to revolutionise and transform sport data globally by leveraging our cutting-edge technology and expert team, ensuring we deliver the best possible outcomes for our partners and clients.

The Senior AI / Innovation Engineer is a hands-on, full-stack engineer operating at the intersection of software engineering, applied AI, and innovation. This role is the founding engineering member of the AI Innovation team and will work closely with the CTO, engineering leaders, and internal stakeholders to prototype, validate, and operationalise AI-driven solutions.

This is not a research role. The focus is on engineering usable systems, building end-to-end proofs of concept, and rapidly iterating based on real operational needs. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in a domain of continual change, where priorities evolve, problems are loosely defined, and speed-to-learning matters.

This is a full-time permanent role based in the United Kingdom. We operate a hybrid working model, with regular time spent in our central London office to collaborate with engineering and product teams. The role may include participation in on-call or live-support activities where AI systems intersect with real-time sporting operations, though this is not the primary focus of the role.

• AI & Innovation Engineering - Design, build, and iterate on AI-powered tools, services, and workflows that improve how Champion Data engineers, operates, and delivers at scale.
• End-to-End Prototyping - Rapidly engineer end-to-end proof-of-concepts, spanning frontend, backend, infrastructure, and AI components, to validate ideas before broader rollout.
• Agentic & LLM-Based Systems - Build and experiment with agentic workflows, LLM-driven systems, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and tool-using agents integrated with internal platforms (e.g. Slack, APIs, CI/CD, cloud services).
• Full-Stack Development - Develop across the stack, including user-facing interfaces, APIs, services, and cloud infrastructure, with a strong bias toward practical usability and maintainability.
• Applied AI Integration - Apply modern AI capabilities pragmatically to real engineering and operational problems, focusing on reliability, observability, and safe deployment rather than novelty alone.
• Innovation Handover - Work closely with core engineering teams to transition successful prototypes into production-ready solutions, including documentation, patterns, and technical guidance.
• Creative Problem Solving - Operate effectively in ambiguous problem spaces, framing problems, proposing solutions, and adapting quickly as constraints and requirements evolve.
• Technical Influence - Contribute to emerging standards, patterns, and best practices for AI usage across the engineering organisation, helping lift overall capability.
• Continuous Learning - Stay current with developments in AI tooling, LLM ecosystems, and software engineering practices, and proactively assess where they can deliver real value.

• Strong full-stack engineering background, with experience building production software systems end-to-end.
• Hands-on experience working with LLMs, agentic workflows, prompt engineering, or AI orchestration frameworks.
• Experience building APIs, services, and user-facing tools that integrate AI capabilities into real workflows.
• Comfort working across multiple languages and frameworks (e.g. TypeScript, Python, C#, frontend frameworks).
• Practical experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred) and modern deployment patterns.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to operate with autonomy and initiative.
• A creative, experimental mindset balanced with solid engineering discipline.
• Ability to pivot between projects and ideas quickly without losing momentum.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Prior experience in sports, data platforms, or real-time systems is beneficial but not required.

This role is well suited to a high-mid or early-senior engineer who is ready to step into a broader innovation remit, or a senior engineer who enjoys hands-on building more than formal people management. You should be energised by uncertainty, motivated by impact, and excited by the opportunity to help define how AI is used across an entire engineering organisation.

For over 20 years, Champion Data has been at the forefront of delivering sports stats globally. With a global presence in Australia, the USA, the UK, and Asia, we specialise in real-time data collection, storage, analysis, distribution, and visualisation. We track every play and movement, delivering unbeatable game intel through seamless integration systems. Our unrivalled visual packages, in partnership with leading media outlets, ensure a sensational sports broadcast experience. We work across numerous major sports, including AFL, NRL, Football, Horse Racing, World Netball, LIV Golf, Tennis, and Lacrosse. As we continue to expand globally, we aim to solidify our position as the leading sports data company.

At Champion Data, our people are at the core of our success, driving the innovation and passion that underpin our company culture. By joining our team, you will be part of a motivated group with a ‘can-do’ attitude, eager to embrace challenges and committed to personal and professional growth. At Champion Data we will enable you to be your own champion.

• To challenge the Playbook
• To be an Elite Partner
• To Champion Team

• We offer flexible hybrid working arrangements, financial support for setting up a remote workspace and a strong focus on health and wellbeing.
• Our team culture is vibrant and supportive, including regular social events, team lunches, and more.
• We also provide extensive employee benefits, including access to our wellness program and additional leave through Mindful Me Days.

• Mindful Me Days: Four days per year dedicated to your wellbeing.
• Flexible Working: Our team works globally in a hybrid environment, which includes two weeks per year, during which you can work remotely from anywhere worldwide.
• UK Office: Access to a co-working space in Soho, London.
• Our spaces: all of our offices have great end-of-journey facilities; including showers, wellness/prayer room & games.
• Employee Assistance Programs: 24/7 Access to financial support and counselling.
• Wellness Incentive: To help support your home office setup or contribute towards a wellness activity/service of your choosing.
• Get to the Game: Funds towards tickets for you and your family/friends to attend sporting events globally.
• Advance Your Learning and Development: Annual budget to spend on learning and development activities plus Brain Block Time, this is time set aside monthly to learn or study.
• Social Events: Including an annual Family Day & Volunteer Day.
• Paid Parental Leave.

When you join Champion Data, you will have the opportunity to step into a fast-growing, dynamic business during an exciting period of expansion. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities to collaborate with diverse clients across the sports, technology, and broadcast media industries. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to Champion Data.