At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to deploy cutting-edge AI systems for top-tier clients.
- Company: Join Indicium AI, a leader in AI engineering and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and access to the latest AI tools.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities to influence major projects and client strategies.
- Why this job: Shape the future of AI while working with industry leaders and innovative technologies.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in tech roles, with leadership experience in AI or engineering.
The predicted salary is between 120000 - 180000 £ per year.
London
About Indicium AI
Indicium AI was Anthropic’s first European launch partner - and sits among a handful of organisations globally trusted by Anthropic to deploy Claude at enterprise scale. We are also one of the first four OpenAI partners in the UK, and Databricks Ventures has invested in our business and holds a seat on our board. Our engineers have access to the latest AI tools and models, partner technical teams, and early capability previews that the wider market does not. We are deploying production AI systems into the world's most complex organisations across Financial Services, Energy, and Healthcare. We exist to make AI a genuine competitive advantage for our clients, not in a presentation but in production.
The Role
This is a technical leadership role at the centre of our Forward Deployed AI Engineering practice. Reporting to the CTO, you will lead a team of Forward Deployed AI Engineers who embed directly with our most strategic clients to ship production AI systems that solve real business problems. You will own how we show up in the market - from the quality of individual engagements to the patterns and playbooks that let the practice scale. This means managing hands-on technical delivery in enterprise, shaping architecture on complex engagements, developing vertical fluency across the team, and partnering with Sales to shape the pipeline. It is a player-coach role: your primary impact will come from the people you hire, the standards you set, and the culture you create - but you will stay close enough to the work to review architectures, unblock production issues, and pair with your team when it matters. You will work directly with clients at the most senior level, with Anthropic teams, and with Indicium AI leadership to define the direction of our AI engineering practice. The best FDE leaders we have seen do not just run a team - they define what good looks like, and they build the organisation that delivers it consistently.
What You Will Do
- Lead, hire, and develop a high-performing team of Forward Deployed AI Engineers – setting a high bar for technical talent, client instincts, and delivery quality
- Own the technical and operational bar for AI engineering engagements – reviewing SOWs, shaping architecture on complex deployments, and ensuring your team ships production-grade systems
- Build the playbooks and repeatable patterns that turn one-off successes into scalable, long-term customer engagements
- Manage hands-on technical delivery in enterprise – you are comfortable moving fluidly between strategic conversations with C-suite stakeholders and debugging sessions with your engineers
- Develop vertical fluency across the team in Financial Services, Energy, and Healthcare – ensuring credibility with domain-expert clients
- Partner with Sales to shape pipeline, scope engagements, and identify expansion opportunities within existing accounts
- Work alongside Anthropic field teams on joint engagements – representing Indicium AI at the highest level and influencing partner product direction through field insights
- Provide technical mentorship, conduct regular 1:1s, and invest in the career growth of each team member
- Drive knowledge sharing and raise the bar for the practice through codified patterns, internal training, and a culture of engineering excellence
What We Are Looking For
- 8+ years in technical roles with at least 3 years leading engineering or delivery teams – in forward deployed engineering, technical consulting, applied AI, or solutions architecture
- Production experience building AI applications including agentic systems, multi-agent orchestration, advanced RAG, evaluation frameworks, and deployment at scale in regulated enterprise environments
- A track record of building teams from early stage – hiring, developing, and retaining strong engineers, not just inheriting an existing organisation
- Experience working directly with enterprise clients on technical implementations, including comfort navigating complex organisational dynamics, procurement, compliance, and resistant stakeholders
- Executive presence – you can hold your own in a C-suite conversation and translate technical complexity into clear narratives for diverse audiences
- Strong Python proficiency and genuine comfort with production code – you are a builder at heart
- Vertical depth in at least one of Financial Services, Energy, or Healthcare
- High agency and comfort with ambiguity – you have built something from zero before and know what it takes
Nice to Have
- Former technical founder or CTO – you have built products and teams under commercial pressure and client scrutiny
- Experience with MCP server development, tool ecosystem integration, and enterprise agent deployment patterns
- Experience working alongside or within partner ecosystems such as Anthropic, or AWS at a senior level
- External presence – writing, speaking, or thought leadership in the AI Engineering space
- Experience in a Palantir, Anthropic, DeepMind, or similar forward-deployed engineering model
Director Forward Deployed AI Engineering EMEA employer: Indicium AI
Contact Detail:
Indicium AI Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director Forward Deployed AI Engineering EMEA
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with folks in the AI engineering space. Attend meetups, webinars, or industry events where you can rub shoulders with potential employers and other professionals. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work in AI applications and engineering projects. This is your chance to demonstrate your technical prowess and problem-solving abilities. Make sure it’s easily accessible online so hiring managers can check it out!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios specific to AI engineering roles. Think about how you would approach complex problems and be ready to discuss your past experiences. Confidence is key, so rehearse until you feel comfortable!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for talented individuals to join our team. Keep an eye on our job listings and make sure your application stands out by tailoring it to the role you’re after.
We think you need these skills to ace Director Forward Deployed AI Engineering EMEA
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Technical Prowess: When you're writing your application, make sure to highlight your technical skills and experience. We want to see how you've led engineering teams and tackled complex AI projects. Don't hold back on the details – we love a good story about your successes!
Tailor Your Application: Make your application stand out by tailoring it to our specific role. Use the job description as your guide and align your experiences with what we're looking for. This shows us that you understand the position and are genuinely interested in joining our team.
Be Authentic: We appreciate authenticity! Let your personality shine through in your application. Share your passion for AI and how you envision contributing to our mission. We’re looking for someone who fits our culture, so don’t be afraid to be yourself.
Apply Through Our Website: To ensure your application gets the attention it deserves, make sure to apply through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and get you into the process smoothly. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Indicium AI
✨Know Your AI Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the latest AI tools and models, especially those relevant to Indicium AI's work. Be ready to discuss your experience with production AI systems and how you've tackled complex deployments in sectors like Financial Services, Energy, or Healthcare.
✨Show Your Leadership Skills
This role is all about leading a team, so be prepared to share examples of how you've built and developed high-performing engineering teams. Talk about your approach to mentoring and how you've set standards for technical talent and delivery quality.
✨Engage with C-Suite Conversations
Since you'll be working directly with senior clients, practice articulating complex technical concepts in a way that's easy to understand. Think of examples where you've successfully navigated organisational dynamics and influenced decision-making at the executive level.
✨Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills
Be ready to discuss specific challenges you've faced in previous roles, particularly around debugging and technical delivery. Highlight your hands-on experience and how you've managed to unblock issues while keeping projects on track.