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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Build and deploy cutting-edge AI models to solve complex problems.
- Company: Well-funded AI startup with a team of top-tier talent.
- Benefits: Up to £300k base salary, significant equity, and in-office collaboration.
- Why this job: Tackle genuine research challenges and make an impact in AI production.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in AI/ML engineering, strong Python skills, and production experience.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team in London and shape the future of AI.
About Our Client
Our client is a very well-funded AI startup solving some of the hardest problems in production large language models. They are building systems that reliably handle complex, multi-step reasoning tasks at massive scale. Their team combines talent from top-tier quantitative trading firms, leading AI research labs, and Big Tech. Backed by tier-one venture capital, they ship fast, maintain exceptionally high technical standards, and operate as an in-office team in London.
The Role
They are hiring a Senior Research Engineer to build and deploy core AI models from conception through production. You will work on genuinely hard, unsolved problems: building LLMs that reason reliably across long contexts, maintain coherent state over extended interactions, and make sound decisions under uncertainty – all whilst serving millions of requests with strict latency requirements.
Hard Problems You’ll Tackle
- Multi-turn reasoning and memory – Models that maintain coherent state across complex, extended interactions
- Production reliability at scale – Consistent, accurate behaviour serving millions of daily requests with sub-second latency
- Novel post-training methods – Training approaches optimised for real-world task completion, not benchmarks
- Real-time evaluation and orchestration – Systems that monitor quality and adaptively route between models in production
- Long-horizon task decomposition – AI systems that autonomously break down and execute multi-step problems
What You’ll Bring
- 5+ years AI/ML engineering or research experience with production systems
- Hands-on post-training experience (RLHF, DPO, or similar) and deployed LLMs in production
- Strong Python and modern ML tooling (PyTorch/JAX, training infrastructure, evaluation pipelines)
- Track record shipping research from prototype to production impact
- Comfortable owning work end-to-end: architecture to data pipelines to production integration
Why Join
- Work on genuine research problems that ship to production within weeks
- Collaborate with exceptional engineers from elite quant firms, frontier AI labs, and top tech companies
- Own multi-quarter initiatives and shape the research roadmap
- In-office in London with some of Europe’s best AI talent
Senior Research Engineer in City of London employer: Durlston Partners
Contact Detail:
Durlston Partners Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Research Engineer in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the AI and ML space, especially those who work at startups or have connections to your target company. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got projects or research that demonstrate your expertise in production AI systems, share them. Whether it’s a GitHub repo or a blog post, let your work speak for itself.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your problem-solving skills. Expect to tackle real-world scenarios related to multi-turn reasoning and production reliability. Practice makes perfect!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to 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 are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Research Engineer in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Research Engineer role. Highlight your experience with AI/ML engineering, especially any hands-on work with production systems and LLMs. We want to see how your skills align with the hard problems we tackle!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about solving complex AI challenges and how your background makes you a perfect fit for our team. Let us know what excites you about working in an in-office environment in London.
Showcase Your Projects: If you've worked on relevant projects, make sure to showcase them! Whether it's a novel post-training method or a production system you've built, we love seeing real-world applications of your skills. Include links or descriptions that demonstrate your impact.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It streamlines the process for us and ensures your application gets into the right hands. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join our talented team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Durlston Partners
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your AI and ML knowledge, especially around production systems and large language models. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with post-training methods like RLHF or DPO, as well as your familiarity with tools like PyTorch or JAX.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to tackle some of the hard problems mentioned in the job description. Think about how you've approached multi-turn reasoning or production reliability in your past projects. Be ready to share specific examples that highlight your ability to break down complex tasks.
✨Demonstrate Ownership
This role requires someone who can own their work from architecture to production integration. Be prepared to discuss instances where you've taken full responsibility for a project, detailing how you managed data pipelines and ensured successful deployment.
✨Cultural Fit Matters
Since this is an in-office role in London, show enthusiasm for collaboration and teamwork. Research the company culture and be ready to explain why you want to work in a fast-paced startup environment with top-tier talent. Your passion for the field will shine through!
