At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead AI strategy and architecture for cutting-edge manufacturing solutions.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at Infor, transforming the manufacturing landscape.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hands-on leadership opportunities, and a culture of innovation.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with excellent growth potential and mentorship.
- Why this job: Shape the future of AI in manufacturing and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Strong software engineering background with AI solution experience.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
We are seeking a Principal AI Lead to define and drive the technical strategy for AI capabilities across the Infor MES platform and wider Manufacturing portfolio. This is a hands-on technical leadership role responsible for defining the architecture, standards, data models, ontology strategy, and platform integration patterns required to bring AI capabilities to MES and Manufacturing solutions. Working closely with Infor OS technologies, you will help translate platform AI investments into practical, scalable, and secure manufacturing solutions. You will work across Product Management, Architecture, Engineering, Cloud Operations, and Infor OS teams to ensure AI initiatives deliver measurable customer value while maintaining enterprise-grade security, scalability, and reliability.
A Typical Day in the Life Includes:
- Defining the AI architecture, standards, and technical strategy for MES and the Manufacturing portfolio.
- Designing scalable, secure, and reliable AI-enabled product features using cloud-native and SaaS principles.
- Building production AI feature sets, reference implementations, and reusable platform components.
- Defining API strategies, tool interfaces, and integration patterns that enable AI capabilities to interact effectively with MES business processes.
- Leading the platform's approach to data modelling, ontology strategy, semantic understanding, and business context required for AI-driven experiences.
- Providing architectural leadership across multiple engineering teams delivering AI, Integration, IoT, Connected Worker, and platform capabilities.
- Working closely with Product Management to align AI investments with customer needs, business objectives, and market opportunities.
- Establishing engineering standards for security, governance, observability, and responsible AI.
- Evaluating emerging AI technologies, frameworks, and architectural approaches.
- Mentoring engineers and acting as a technical authority for AI initiatives across the Manufacturing portfolio.
- Contributing to long-term technical strategy and roadmap planning for AI Acceleration initiatives.
Basic Qualifications:
- A demonstrated background of software engineering experience delivering enterprise applications or platforms.
- Strong hands-on software development experience using modern engineering practices and technologies.
- Proven experience designing and delivering production AI solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs).
- Experience with Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), agentic architectures, AI orchestration frameworks, and tool-based AI systems.
- Experience integrating AI capabilities into enterprise software products.
- Experience designing APIs, service contracts, and software architectures.
- Experience with cloud-native application development and modern SaaS architectures.
- Experience with semantic modelling, ontologies, knowledge graphs, or domain-driven modelling approaches used to represent complex business domains.
- Strong understanding of software architecture, security, scalability, reliability, and observability.
- Excellent C# and .NET experience and strong understanding of relational databases.
- Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams and product areas.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience within Manufacturing, MES, ERP, Industrial IoT, or Operational Technology environments.
- Experience building multi-tenant SaaS platforms.
- Experience with vector databases, embeddings, semantic search, and AI retrieval architectures.
- Experience defining enterprise AI architecture and governance standards.
- Experience mentoring senior engineers or leading technical communities of practice.
- Previous people leadership or line management experience.
Infor MES is undergoing a significant transformation as we evolve towards a cloud-native SaaS platform and embed AI-driven capabilities throughout the product experience. You will join a highly experienced engineering team with deep manufacturing knowledge, a strong culture of ownership, and a passion for building great software. We move quickly, value innovation, and give engineers the opportunity to turn ideas into production reality. For the right individual, this role offers a rare opportunity to shape how AI is applied within manufacturing, influence product and technical strategy, contribute hands-on engineering leadership, and make a lasting impact across both the Infor Manufacturing portfolio and the wider Infor AI ecosystem.
Department: Development
Employment Type: Full Time
Workplace type: Onsite
Software Engineer, Principal in Orpington employer: Infor
Infor is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, particularly within the dynamic environment of Farnborough. Employees benefit from a hybrid working model, comprehensive support for professional growth, and the opportunity to lead cross-discipline teams in developing cutting-edge financial management solutions. With a strong emphasis on employee development and a commitment to high standards, Infor provides a rewarding career path for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineer, Principal in Orpington
✨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 Infor 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 Infor.
✨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 Infor.
✨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 Infor 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 Software Engineer, Principal in Orpington
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 Infor.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Infor 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 Infor
✨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 Infor 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.
