Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a high-performing AI engineering team and deliver innovative AI solutions.
- Company: Dufrain, a leading data consultancy focused on unlocking data value.
- Benefits: Shape cutting-edge AI solutions and gain exposure to the latest technologies.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in AI while mentoring and guiding a talented team.
- Qualifications: Strong consulting skills, technical expertise, and experience in delivering AI solutions.
- Other info: Join a collaborative environment that values continuous learning and responsible innovation.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Dufrain is a pure-play data consultancy specialising in helping businesses unlock the true value of their data by providing market-leading data solutions and services which includes developing strategies for AI readiness, improving data literacy and culture, enhancing real-time reporting, and managing data from mergers and acquisitions. We are seeking an AI Engineering Lead who combines strong consulting, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills with deep technical expertise. You will translate complex AI concepts into clear, actionable direction for senior business and technical audiences, shaping client thinking and ensuring solutions deliver real business value.
In this role, you will lead and grow a high‑performing AI engineering team, setting engineering standards, guiding delivery quality, and providing hands‑on technical leadership across multiple projects. You will ensure solutions are robust, scalable, responsibly designed, and aligned to client needs, acting as a trusted advisor to help clients understand AI opportunities and make confident delivery decisions. This is a client‑facing, engineering‑led position suited to someone with strong curiosity, a passion for emerging technologies, and a proven track record of taking AI solutions into production. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and not require sponsorship now or in the future. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and uphold engineering standards across the AI capability.
- Coach and mentor AI engineers, shaping a high-performing and collaborative team.
- Contribute to capability strategy and the development of reusable patterns and accelerators.
Client & Consulting Responsibilities
- Act as a trusted advisor to clients, translating complex AI and technical concepts into clear, business relevant language that supports confident decision-making.
- Lead client conversations, workshops, and architecture/design sessions, ensuring objectives are clarified, expectations aligned, and stakeholders guided through tradeoffs.
- Shape solution options and delivery approaches with a consulting mindset, ensuring recommendations are grounded in value, risk awareness, and responsible AI principles.
- Support AI roadmap development and contribute to pre‑sales and account growth.
Technical Delivery & Engineering
- Architect, build, and deploy AI/ML and agentic solutions into production environments.
- Provide hands‑on technical leadership across delivery teams, ensuring engineering quality, security, scalability, and maintainability.
- Implement production-grade patterns: CI/CD, testing frameworks, model registries, observability, and responsible AI guardrails.
- Design and implement robust model evaluation and monitoring processes, covering performance, drift detection, data quality, safety, and operational reliability.
- Introduce and operate human-in-the-loop (HITL) mechanisms for higher risk workflows, ensuring appropriate oversight and continuous improvement.
- Integrate solutions with cloud and data platforms and enterprise systems.
- Rapidly onboard new AI technologies, frameworks, and techniques and share knowledge across the team.
- Evaluate new tools (e.g. agent frameworks, prompt engineering patterns, vector databases, orchestration tools) and drive adoption.
Required Experience & Skills
Consulting & Communication Skills
- Proven ability to engage, influence, and build trust with senior stakeholders, both technical and nontechnical.
- Exceptional communication skills, able to simplify complex concepts and guide discussions with clarity, empathy, and authority.
- Experience leading workshops, shaping solution options, and supporting decision-making in ambiguous or high stakes environments.
- Strong consulting mindset: structured problem-solving, ability to frame challenges, articulate trade-offs, and align teams around a shared approach.
Leadership & Delivery
- Experience overseeing the technical delivery of projects, guiding engineers, and holding delivery teams to high-quality engineering standards.
- A proactive, accountable mindset with the ability to structure work, identify risks early, and drive solutions.
Technical Expertise
- Proven experience delivering AI solutions into production, ideally in enterprise or regulated environments.
- Strong software engineering fundamentals (Python essential).
- Experience with cloud AI services and modern data platforms (e.g. Azure AI Foundry, Azure ML, Databricks, Amazon SageMaker, Bedrock, etc.).
- Practical understanding of MLOps practices, including CI/CD, IaC, model monitoring, and operational observability.
Personal Attributes
- Strong consulting presence with the ability to command a room, communicate with clarity, and guide client decision-making with confidence and empathy.
- Passion for learning, particularly emerging AI technologies.
- Collaborative team player who enjoys mentoring others.
What You’ll Gain
- Opportunity to shape and deliver cutting-edge AI solutions across multiple sectors.
- Exposure to Microsoft Azure ecosystem, Databricks, AI Foundry, and the newest agentic/LLM approaches.
- Leadership opportunities within a growing AI practice that values continuous learning, experimentation, and responsible innovation.
AI Engineering Lead in England employer: Dufrain
Contact Detail:
Dufrain Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land AI Engineering Lead in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the AI and data consultancy space. Attend meetups, webinars, or industry events to meet potential employers and showcase your passion for AI. Remember, it’s all about who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your AI projects and solutions. Whether it's a GitHub repository or a personal website, make sure it’s easy to navigate and showcases your technical expertise. This is your chance to shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to AI engineering. Think about how you can translate complex concepts into simple terms, just like you would for clients. We want to see your consulting mindset in action!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged. So, hit that apply button and let’s get the conversation started!
We think you need these skills to ace AI Engineering Lead in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the AI Engineering Lead role. Highlight your consulting experience, technical expertise, and any relevant projects that showcase your ability to translate complex AI concepts into actionable strategies.
Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since this role involves engaging with senior stakeholders, it's crucial to demonstrate your exceptional communication skills. Use clear and concise language in your application to show how you can simplify complex ideas and guide discussions effectively.
Highlight Leadership Experience: We want to see your leadership chops! Share examples of how you've coached and mentored teams, set engineering standards, and ensured high-quality delivery in previous roles. This will help us understand your capability to lead a high-performing AI engineering team.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensure you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining our team at Dufrain!
How to prepare for a job interview at Dufrain
✨Know Your AI Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the latest AI technologies and frameworks relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss your experience with deploying AI solutions into production, especially in enterprise settings. This will show that you not only understand the theory but can also apply it practically.
✨Communicate Clearly
Since this role involves translating complex AI concepts for clients, practice simplifying your explanations. Use relatable examples to demonstrate your points. This will help you connect with both technical and non-technical stakeholders during the interview.
✨Show Your Leadership Skills
Be prepared to share specific examples of how you've led teams or projects in the past. Highlight your coaching and mentoring experiences, as well as how you've upheld engineering standards. This will showcase your ability to build a high-performing team.
✨Engage with Real Scenarios
Expect to participate in discussions or workshops during the interview. Prepare to tackle hypothetical scenarios where you need to shape solution options or guide decision-making. This will demonstrate your consulting mindset and ability to navigate complex situations.