At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop AI-assisted software solutions while mentoring junior engineers.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company focused on AI innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI technology and make a real impact on diverse projects.
- Qualifications: Experience with AI coding assistants and strong programming skills in .NET, JavaScript, and TypeScript.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 ÂŁ per year.
We are looking for a Senior AI-first Engineer who combines deep technical expertise with a genuine, handsâon approach to AI-assisted development. You will work across varied client engagements â from modernizing legacy systems to architecting new products â and are expected to contribute at a high level regardless of project context. The ideal candidate has built a real, personalized AI development workflow â including custom skills, reusable prompt templates, and projectâlevel instructions â and continues to refine it. Out-of-the-box tool usage is not sufficient for this role.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain full-stack features with high standards of quality, performance, and reliability.
- Apply AI tools throughout the workflow: generation, refactoring, review, testing, and research.
- Contribute to architectural decisions â technology selection, system design, and tradeâoff analysis.
- Conduct thorough code reviews and uphold engineering best practices across the team.
- Identify risks, bottlenecks, and security concerns proactively and propose solutions.
- Work directly with clients in English.
- Mentor junior and mid-level engineers through dayâtoâday guidance and knowledge sharing.
- Stay current with AI tooling developments and contribute findings to the broader team.
Requirements
- Handsâon experience with Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or equivalent AI coding assistants.
- Ability to create custom skills and subâagents and orchestrate multiple AI agents in parallel for concurrent task execution.
- Strong prompt engineering skills; able to produce reliable, highâquality output and critically evaluate AIâgenerated results.
- Productionâgrade .NET / C# (REST APIs, middleware, dependency injection) with solid understanding of OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and JWT.
- Deep proficiency in JavaScript and TypeScript.
- 2+ years of handsâon production experience with React.
- Strong grasp of state management, asynchronous patterns, and frontend testing.
- Confident designing systems across monoliths, microservices, and distributed architectures.
- Working knowledge of DDD, CQRS, Event Sourcing, and eventâdriven systems, including message brokers (Kafka, RabbitMQ, Azure Service Bus, or similar).
- Handsâon use of Docker and working knowledge of Kubernetes, along with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar).
- Experience with cloud platforms.
- Solid background with SQL databases and ORMs; familiarity with NoSQL is a plus.
- Additional exposure to Python, Java, or Node.js is highly desirable.
- Clear communication skills in English.
Senior AI-First Engineer in Manchester employer: HeadHR
Contact Detail:
HeadHR Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice đ¤Ť
We think this is how you could land Senior AI-First Engineer in Manchester
â¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the tech world, especially those who are already in AI or engineering roles. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings that aren't even advertised yet.
â¨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your AI projects and custom workflows. This is your chance to demonstrate your hands-on experience and unique approach to AI-assisted development â make it shine!
â¨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge and problem-solving skills. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you tackled challenges. We want to see your thought process in action!
â¨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! Itâs the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior AI-First Engineer in Manchester
Some tips for your application đŤĄ
Show Off Your AI Skills: Make sure to highlight your hands-on experience with AI tools like Claude Code or GitHub Copilot. We want to see how you've personalised your AI development workflow, so share specific examples of custom skills or prompt templates you've created.
Tailor Your Application: Donât just send a generic application! Take the time to tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect the responsibilities and requirements listed in the job description. We love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect their experience with what weâre looking for.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, clarity is key. Use straightforward language and avoid jargon unless itâs relevant to the role. We appreciate well-structured applications that get straight to the point without unnecessary fluff.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. Itâs the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us youâre genuinely interested in joining the StudySmarter team!
How to prepare for a job interview at HeadHR
â¨Know Your AI Tools Inside Out
Make sure youâre well-versed in the AI coding assistants mentioned in the job description, like Claude Code and GitHub Copilot. Prepare to discuss how you've used these tools in your past projects, focusing on specific examples where they enhanced your workflow or solved complex problems.
â¨Showcase Your Custom Skills
Be ready to talk about your personalised AI development workflow. Highlight any custom skills or reusable prompt templates you've created. This is your chance to demonstrate your hands-on approach and how youâve refined your processes over time.
â¨Prepare for Technical Deep Dives
Expect technical questions that dive deep into your experience with .NET/C#, JavaScript, and TypeScript. Brush up on architectural decisions and be prepared to discuss trade-offs you've made in previous projects, especially regarding system design and performance.
â¨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Since you'll be working directly with clients, clear communication is key. Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. This will not only help you during the interview but also show your potential employer that you can effectively mentor junior engineers and collaborate with clients.