Head of AI Engineering in Colchester

We’re working with a fast‑growing European HealthTech scale‑up that’s fundamentally changing how healthcare systems manage patient discharge and aftercare. Their platform already supports a significant proportion of hospitals and care providers, and AI is now central to the next phase of their growth.

They’re hiring a Head of AI Engineering to define, build, and lead their AI function, turning a strong foundation into a world‑class, production‑grade AI organisation. This is a senior, hands‑on leadership role for someone who wants real ownership, real impact, and the opportunity to shape how AI is deployed at scale in a regulated, mission‑critical environment.

The opportunity

As Head of AI Engineering, you’ll take ownership of the full AI engineering landscape, from platform and infrastructure through to applied AI and agent‑based systems, while remaining close to the code and the delivery of real products. You’ll join at a formative stage, where architectural decisions made now will directly influence how AI is embedded into healthcare workflows for years to come.

Key elements of the role include:

• Defining and owning the AI engineering architecture across platform, applied AI, and agent orchestration layers
• Building and scaling the AI engineering team, evolving from a hands‑on core into a structured organisation with clear ownership and leadership
• Making high‑impact technical decisions around model selection, infrastructure, and build vs. buy trade‑offs
• Working closely with product and engineering leadership to align AI capabilities with product strategy and delivery
• Remaining hands‑on: writing code, reviewing PRs, and shipping systems, particularly in the early stages
• Establishing standards for AI engineering workflows, including LLM‑assisted development practices
• Ensuring architectural decisions are well‑documented, intentional, and able to evolve with a fast‑moving AI landscape

What they’re looking for

This role suits someone who is both technically deep and strategically strong — a true player‑coach who enjoys building from scratch. Ideal background includes:

• Strong experience in software and AI engineering, with a proven record of designing and running production systems
• Deep, hands‑on expertise in modern LLM‑based systems: prompt and context architecture, agent orchestration, evaluation frameworks, and observability
• A clear understanding of how rapidly model capabilities evolve — and the judgement to adapt architecture as that landscape shifts
• Confidence in making and defending architectural decisions, while constructively challenging assumptions
• Experience hiring, mentoring, and scaling technical teams
• Comfort operating without a fully established structure and motivation to define processes, standards, and direction
• Strong opinions on AI‑native engineering workflows, including how LLMs should support coding, testing, documentation, and review
• Excellent communication skills and confidence working in a remote‑first, international environment

Why consider this role?

• Meaningful impact: Your work will directly improve outcomes for patients, families, and healthcare professionals
• Strategic influence: AI is a core pillar of the company’s future — this is not an R&D side project
• Autonomy and trust: Flat hierarchies, high ownership, and genuine influence over technical direction
• Flexibility: Remote‑friendly setup, flexible working hours, and a culture that supports life outside of work
• Growth journey: The chance to build a leading AI function within one of Europe’s most ambitious HealthTech platforms

If you’re excited by the idea of building AI systems that ship, scale, and matter, and want to lead AI engineering in a setting where your decisions truly count, we’d love to talk. Apply directly or reach out for a confidential conversation with our AI & Data recruitment team.