Applied AI Lead

Applied AI Lead

Full-Time 81000 - 99000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead a multidisciplinary team to deliver impactful generative AI products.
  • Company: Join EQT, a global leader in private markets with a focus on AI innovation.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working, and comprehensive wellbeing support.
  • Other info: Collaborative culture that values inclusion and empowers every team member.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of AI in private equity and drive real business impact.
  • Qualifications: 10+ years in software/ML engineering, with leadership experience in applied AI.

The predicted salary is between 81000 - 99000 £ per year.

EQT is looking for an Applied AI Lead — a delivery-focused engineering leader who brings together technical depth, product instinct, and the credibility to partner with investment professionals, operators, and engineers to turn generative AI from prototype into production. This role sits at the heart of EQT's ambition to become the most AI-literate firm in private markets.

About The Team

You will lead EQT's Applied AI function, a multidisciplinary team of applied AI engineers, ML engineers, and full-stack builders shipping high-impact generative AI products across Client, Investment Teams, and Fund/Group. The team consumes Tech Foundations' shared AI platform while owning lightweight tooling and operational practices to move with speed.

About The Role

You will lead a team of engineers deployed on high-impact projects to quickly drive results within both engineering and business teams. You will lead with craft, actively contributing to assignments alongside your leadership duties and you will act as a catalyst, helping engineering teams accelerate AI delivery and maximizing AI impact across business teams. You set the standard for quality and delivery across the team.

  • Lead, mentor, and grow a multidisciplinary Applied AI team with clear expectations for delivery quality and technical craft.
  • Own the Applied AI roadmap in close alignment with business stakeholders and value stream teams; stay attuned to emerging AI capabilities and evaluate where new models, agents, or tooling unlock fresh value.
  • Partner with Tech Foundations, Product, Data, and Security teams to ensure Applied AI products integrate cleanly and responsibly.
  • Serve as the senior AI partner to EQT's business lines — working directly with investment professionals and leaders to translate opportunities into concrete deliverables.
  • Drive adoption of shipped products through enablement, demonstrations, training, and active feedback loops with end users.
  • Track the AI frontier and apply fresh thinking to raise the bar on what EQT can build.
  • Measure and communicate business impact with rigour — instrumenting both engineering productivity gains and user adoption — and hire engineers who understand that judgment about AI output, decomposition skills, and willingness to change workflows matter more than framework credentials.

About You

You are a thoughtful, delivery-oriented leader who combines technical depth with business fluency to navigate private markets. You bring collaborative leadership, sound judgment, and relentless curiosity about where AI creates genuine value in PE.

What You'll Bring (must-have)

  • Leadership & Credibility: At least 10 years in software or ML/AI engineering, with 3–5 years in a leadership capacity managing teams or strategic delivery in applied AI, ML product, or AI platform environments.
  • Demonstrated AI Leverage & Outcomes: Concrete evidence of AI-driven productivity gains: a specific product, workflow, or internal tool you shipped with AI; a measurable before/after (latency, throughput, manual-work elimination); and how you measured it.
  • Willingness to Abandon Habits for Better Tooling: You’ve changed your mind on how you write AI systems because a new approach or model capability made the old one obsolete. You ship what works now, not what worked last year, and you bring that standard to how you lead.
  • Working Knowledge of Private Equity & Deal Workflow: Genuine operational fluency in PE — deal cycles, investment decision-making, portfolio workflows, or comparable high-stakes professional services. You translate vague "investment teams struggle with analysis" into shippable features and know where AI actually applies vs. distraction.
  • Measurement & Instrumentation: You cultivate a culture of transparency and clarity. You measure impact and productivity not just for dashboards, but to empower your team, identify where we win, and remove barriers to success. You believe that rigorous, data-informed insights create fairness and accountability—enabling you to hire, promote, and develop top-quartile talent who value ‘Owning It’.
  • Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership: You’ve translated ambiguous business needs into shippable AI products in close partnership with non-technical stakeholders. You lead across engineering, product, data, and security without formal authority. You’ve rolled out internal platforms or shared services and know how to drive adoption.
  • Judgment About What's Real vs. Hype: You follow AI research actively but skeptically — testing whether new capabilities solve problems you care about. You experiment thoughtfully and bring a craft-oriented mindset to your team.
  • Comfort in Ambiguity & Distributed Environments: You’ve operated effectively in large, complex organisations across time zones, unclear ownership, and shifting priorities.

Nice To Have

  • Direct experience in private equity operations, investing, or portfolio company engagement.
  • Experience with data governance, security, and AI compliance frameworks.
  • A track record of building strong developer experiences and high-leverage internal tooling.
  • Experience enabling AI adoption at an organisational scale, including training, change management, or community building.
  • Familiarity with AI infrastructure or platform team environments (beyond applied AI delivery).
  • A public track record of open-source contributions, technical writing, or speaking on AI systems design or engineering practices.

What We Offer

EQT offers a rare opportunity to shape how one of the world's leading private markets firms applies AI at scale. You’ll work alongside sharp minds in finance and technology, with the mandate and resources to build something genuinely impactful. We’re committed to a high-trust environment where what you deliver matters more than tenure.

Compensation & Benefits Notice

We offer a competitive total rewards package including base salary, determined based on the role, experience, skill set, and location. Eligible employees may also receive discretionary incentive compensation, awarded in recognition of individual performance and company results. EQT provides a comprehensive benefits offering designed to support employee wellbeing, development, and work-life balance. Benefits include paid time off, parental leave, wellbeing and wellness support, flexible working arrangements, and learning and development opportunities. Benefits are effective from the first day of employment and may vary by location and role.

Inclusion at EQT

Our vision for EQT employees is to build high performing & engaged teams. Our competitive edge comes from fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, empowered, and motivated to drive business impact. Our commitment to inclusion is not just about fairness; We understand and believe that being a great place to work drives the best performance. At EQT, inclusion is a business imperative and it's embedded into our talent strategy, decision-making, and culture to ensure that every individual and team operates at their full potential. By doing so, we unlock better collaboration, stronger innovation, and superior investment outcomes.

About EQT

EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies. With a Nordic heritage and a global mindset, EQT has a track record of over three decades of developing companies across multiple geographies, sectors and strategies. EQT has investment strategies covering all phases of a business' development, from start-up to maturity. EQT has EUR 270 billion in total assets under management (EUR 141 billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. With its roots in the Wallenberg family's entrepreneurial mindset and philosophy of long-term ownership, EQT is guided by a set of strong values and a distinct corporate culture. EQT manages and advises funds and vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to future-proof companies, generate attractive returns and make a positive impact with everything EQT does. EQT has offices in more than 25 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas and has more than 1,900 employees.

Applied AI Lead employer: EQT Foundation

EQT is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to lead the Applied AI function within one of the world's foremost private markets firms. With a commitment to employee wellbeing and development, EQT fosters a high-trust environment that values impactful contributions over tenure, providing competitive compensation, flexible working arrangements, and comprehensive benefits from day one. The collaborative culture encourages innovation and inclusion, empowering employees to drive meaningful change in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI.

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Contact Details:

EQT Foundation Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Applied AI 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 EQT Foundation 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 EQT Foundation.

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 EQT Foundation.

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 EQT Foundation 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 Applied AI Lead

Leadership in AI and ML Engineering
Technical Depth in AI Systems
Product Management
Stakeholder Engagement
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Data Measurement and Instrumentation
Private Equity Knowledge

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 EQT Foundation.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at EQT Foundation 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 EQT Foundation

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 EQT Foundation 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.