Applied AI / Automation Engineer (12-Month FTC) in Leeds

Location: Fitzrovia, London (Onsite)

Salary: £65K - £100K+ DOE (Potential Bonus)

Company: Our Client (Hedge Fund Investment Specialist)

About Our Client

Our client is a specialist hedge fund investment firm that has been managing client capital since 1994. They focus exclusively on selecting hedge funds and managing fund-of-fund portfolios, with a long-standing commitment to delivering strong, risk-adjusted returns. Their purpose extends beyond financial performance. They are committed to growing and protecting not only their clients’ capital, but also environmental and social capital. This philosophy is expressed through their embedded impact approach, which shapes how they operate and invest. They are a flexible, dynamic, and collaborative organisation that values innovation and diverse perspectives. They believe that an inclusive culture is essential for long-term success, and they encourage people to bring their authentic selves to work.

The Role

Our client is seeking a highly capable Applied AI / Automation Engineer to join their Data Science team on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is a hands-on engineering role focused on designing and delivering an intelligent, automated reporting platform to support the Fund Administration team. The role reports directly to the Head of Data Science and works in close partnership with a dedicated Product Manager within Fund Administration. Day-to-day priorities will align with operational needs, while technical ownership and engineering standards sit within the Data Science function. This is a rare opportunity to build a production-grade automation platform from the ground up, applying modern data engineering, AI, and agent-based technologies to transform reporting, reconciliation, and NAV workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the design and delivery of an end-to-end automated reporting platform.
• Build intelligent workflows to automate data ingestion, validation, reconciliation, and NAV calculation.
• Replace manual operational processes with scalable, observable, and controlled systems.
• Design exception-handling and human-in-the-loop mechanisms where full automation is not appropriate.
• Ensure accuracy, auditability, and operational resilience across the NAV automation platform.
• Translate operational complexity into structured technical solutions in partnership with the Fund Administration Product Manager.
• Evolve the platform into a maintainable internal product rather than a collection of scripts.
• Within 12 months, deliver a robust, production-grade automation system that materially reduces manual reconciliation effort, improves operational transparency, and establishes a scalable foundation for future AI-driven enhancements.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Strong automation engineering capability with the ability to apply AI in real operational environments.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with Python.
• 3+ years of experience with SQL.
• 3+ years of experience working with AI / applied machine learning.
• Experience designing and implementing data pipelines and automation systems.
• Experience integrating systems via APIs and structured data feeds.
• Experience building reliable, monitored, and maintainable production systems.
• Proficiency with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience implementing testing strategies to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Strong systems thinking and ability to architect end-to-end solutions.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally with operations teams.
• Must be eligible to work in the UK and able to work onsite in London.
• Willingness to complete a background check.

Desirable

• Exposure to reconciliation, accounting, or control-focused workflows.
• Experience working in regulated or audit-sensitive environments.
• Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools.
• Experience productising internal automation into scalable internal applications (e.g., TypeScript, React, Next.js).

Why This Role Matters

This is an exciting opportunity to design and build an AI-driven operational system from scratch within a sophisticated financial environment. With the application of AI agents and automation, this role has the potential to redefine how modern AI augments fund operations.

Additional Information

Our client is committed to a fair and transparent recruitment process. They may use AI tools to assist in organising and analysing CVs to identify relevant qualifications and experience. These tools do not make decisions; all hiring decisions are made by the recruitment team. If you have any questions about this process, please let us know.