At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of innovative AI systems and drive feature development for Maia.
- Company: Join Matillion, a global leader in AI Data Automation with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy 30 days holiday, company equity, private health insurance, and more.
- Other info: Flexible working culture with a focus on work-life balance and career growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of data with cutting-edge technology and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in agentic AI systems and strong programming skills, especially in Java.
The predicted salary is between 81000 - 99000 £ per year.
Are you ready to shape the future of data? Matillion is the company behind Maia, the AI Data Automation platform. In the AI economy, demand for data is exploding. Manual data engineering can’t keep up. Maia fixes that by combining 15 years of data expertise with agentic AI to eliminate the manual work that slows data teams down. Organisations like Cisco, DocuSign, and Slack are already using it to deliver real business impact, faster. We started in Manchester and now we’re global - with teams across the UK, US and India. We are driven, curious, energetic people who move fast, think big and hold ourselves to a high standard. We’re here to make a dent in the universe bigger than ourselves. And we’re looking for people who want to be part of it.
About the role
As a Principal Engineer on our Maia AI team, you'll be at the heart of everything we do: designing agentic AI systems, leveraging evals to continually validate their performance as model capabilities evolve, building new tools and integrations, and staying finger-on-the-pulse with the latest developments in Gen AI. This isn't BAU engineering – this is high-visibility, high-impact work where your decisions shape the product. You'll be driving architecture, mentoring engineers, and feeding into strategy. Things move quickly here. Requirements evolve, new opportunities emerge, and we need someone who thrives in that environment. If you have been working on Agentic AI projects and taking them into production environments – and you want to do that at scale in a world-class engineering team – this is the role for you.
What you will be doing
- Lead technical architecture and design for the Maia team - working within a squad to define direction, validate proposals, and ensure we're building scalable, maintainable software at pace.
- Drive agentic AI feature development - building new tools, integrations, and workflows that push the boundaries of what Maia can do.
- Stay ahead of the curve on Gen AI developments - trialling new models, tools, and approaches, feeding insights into team strategy and championing new ways of working.
- Act as technical mentor and coach to engineers across the team - raising the bar through code reviews, design input, and hands-on guidance.
- Collaborate closely with our Product Manager and Data Science team to translate product vision into technical reality, balancing innovation with code quality and delivery pace.
What we are looking for
- Proven experience working on agentic AI systems - you understand how they differ from traditional systems, you've built and led features in this space, and you have a point of view on how to test and scale them.
- Deep programming background, ideally with Java, combined with hands-on experience building scalable distributed systems on AWS - you write great code and think seriously about architecture.
- Technical leadership experience - you've been a tech lead, influenced architecture decisions, and helped other engineers grow; you can communicate complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders without breaking a sweat.
- Full stack capability is a strong plus - particularly React, TypeScript, and Tailwind - and familiarity with frameworks like Langchain or Langgraph would be welcome.
- Adaptable and fast-moving - you thrive in an environment where requirements evolve, you're comfortable with ambiguity, and you have a genuine bias for action when it comes to adopting and championing new technologies.
More about Matillion
We operate a flexible working culture that promotes work-life balance, with benefits including:
- Company Equity
- 30 days holiday + bank holiday
- 5 days paid volunteering leave
- Private Health Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Pension
- Access to mental health support
Your Safety
Matillion recruiters will only contact you from @matillion.com email addresses. We occasionally work with trusted recruiting partners; they will always tell you they are working on our behalf. We will never ask for money, fees, or bank details at any point in the hiring process. If something feels off, trust that instinct. Don't click any links. Go straight to matillion.com/careers to verify open roles or reach us at [email protected].
Want to know more? Don't tick every box? Apply anyway. We hire for potential, not just experience. A member of our Talent Acquisition team will be in touch. Cannot find anything suitable role right now? We still want to hear from you. Drop us a line at [email protected]. Find out more about life on #TeamGreen here.
Matillion is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all of our team. Matillion prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. Matillion does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
Principal AI Engineer in Manchester employer: Matillion
At Matillion, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through mentorship opportunities and the chance to lead impactful projects in the rapidly evolving AI data automation space. Located in the vibrant EMEA region, we offer a dynamic work environment where your contributions directly influence our global success and customer satisfaction.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal AI Engineer in Manchester
✨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 Matillion 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 Matillion.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
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✨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 Matillion 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 Principal AI Engineer in Manchester
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 Matillion.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Matillion 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 Matillion
✨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 Matillion 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.
