At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build advanced AI systems using cutting-edge technologies.
- Company: Join a fast-growing AI consultancy with a global reach.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, health benefits, and flexible hybrid working.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for ongoing learning and development.
- Why this job: Make an impact in the evolving world of AI and mentor junior engineers.
- Qualifications: 5-8 years of software engineering experience, especially with LLMs.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
NowVertical is looking for a Senior AI Engineer to design, build, and scale agentic AI systems powered by modern Large Language Models (LLMs). Reporting to our Principal AI Engineer, you will take technical ownership of complex AI workstreams, mentor more junior engineers, and help shape NowVertical’s AI platform strategy. This is a deeply hands-on role. You will architect and ship production-grade AI systems—multi-agent orchestration, RAG pipelines, tool-augmented reasoning workflows—while working across GCP, Azure, and AWS. We value versatile engineers who can navigate multiple frameworks and cloud environments to build resilient, observable, and scalable AI applications.
What you will do...
- Agentic AI & Multi-Agent Systems
- Architect and lead the implementation of multi-agent systems using Google AI SDKs (Vertex AI Agent Builder), LangGraph, CrewAI, and other emerging orchestration frameworks.
- Design and build stateful, tool-augmented agents capable of advanced reasoning, long-term planning, and autonomous execution.
- Develop and document agent orchestration patterns including planner-executor, supervisor-worker, and hierarchical agent structures.
- Implement sophisticated memory systems (short-term, long-term, and cross-session contextual memory).
- Enable seamless cross-agent communication and multi-modal coordination.
- LLM Applications & Orchestration
- Lead the delivery of production-grade LLM applications: RAG pipelines, specialised agents, and developer copilots.
- Integrate diverse tools, enterprise APIs, and legacy systems into agentic workflows.
- Design robust system prompts, dynamic routing logic, and AI guardrails using Vertex AI Model Garden or Azure AI Studio.
- Drive optimisation of AI workflows for latency, token cost, and output quality.
- Platform & API Development
- Develop and own reusable AI microservices, agent frameworks, and standardised APIs.
- Contribute to core AI platform capabilities including model routing, centralised observability, and safety filters.
- Define and enforce engineering standards and best practices for AI development across the team.
- Cloud Deployment & Production Systems
- Deploy and manage agent-based systems on GCP, Azure, and/or AWS using Docker, Kubernetes (GKE/AKS/EKS), and Cloud Run.
- Implement comprehensive monitoring and observability using Vertex AI Inspector, LangSmith, or Azure Monitor.
- Drive incident response and post-mortems for production AI system failures.
- Technical Leadership & Mentoring
- Act as a technical lead on key AI engineering workstreams, shaping architecture and approach.
- Mentor and support more junior AI engineers through code review, design discussions, and pair programming.
- Collaborate with Principal AI Engineer and cross-functional teams (data, product, delivery) to align AI engineering with business outcomes.
- Stay at the forefront of the rapidly evolving agentic AI landscape and bring new approaches into the team.
Qualification & Skills:
- Core AI Expertise (Required)
- 5–8 years of software engineering experience with at least 3 years focused on LLM-based or AI systems in production.
- Proven track record building and shipping RAG pipelines, autonomous agents, and multi-step reasoning chains.
- Strong hands-on experience with Google AI SDKs, Vertex AI, and/or Azure AI services.
- Deep proficiency in orchestration stacks: LangGraph, CrewAI, LlamaIndex, Haystack, or comparable frameworks.
- Expert-level Python; strong backend development skills (FastAPI, Go, or Node.js).
- Agentic & Systems Thinking (Required)
- Deep understanding of agent design patterns: planning, reflection, memory, and tool-use.
- Experience integrating complex enterprise APIs and event-driven systems into agentic workflows.
- Proven ability to trace, debug, and improve non-deterministic, multi-step AI reasoning pipelines.
- Strong instinct for building resilient, observable, and production-ready AI systems.
- Cloud & DevOps (Required)
- Strong familiarity with GCP and/or Azure core services: GKE, Cloud Run, Azure AI services.
- Infrastructure as Code: Terraform or Pulumi.
- CI/CD: experience building automated evaluation and deployment pipelines for AI models.
- Data Engineering (Nice to Have)
- Vector databases: Vertex AI Vector Search, Azure AI Search, Pinecone, or Weaviate.
- Data pipelines: BigQuery, Pub/Sub, Azure Synapse.
- ETL/ELT experience preparing unstructured data for RAG and fine-tuning.
What we are looking for...
- Engineers who view LLMs as components within a larger system—not just standalone models—and who think carefully about architecture, reliability, and cost.
- A senior mindset: someone who takes ownership, drives outcomes, and elevates the engineers around them.
- A strong bias toward production-ready, resilient, and observable AI applications.
- Genuine passion for the rapidly evolving landscape of agentic AI and next-generation software architectures.
- Comfortable working across cloud platforms and navigating ambiguity in a fast-moving consultancy environment.
Competitive base salary + performance incentives. Health and wellness benefits. Flexible hybrid working environment (UK-based). Exposure to global clients, cutting-edge AI projects, and a fast-growing AI practice. Ongoing learning and development support.
Senior AI Engineer employer: NowVertical
NowVertical is an exceptional employer for Senior AI Engineers, offering a dynamic hybrid work environment in London that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong commitment to employee growth, we provide access to cutting-edge AI projects and ongoing learning opportunities, ensuring our team members are at the forefront of the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Our supportive culture encourages mentorship and technical leadership, making it a rewarding place for engineers looking to make a meaningful impact.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior AI Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at local meetups. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repo showcasing your AI projects. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and scenarios related to AI engineering. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to get comfortable.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior AI Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior AI Engineer role. Highlight your experience with LLMs, multi-agent systems, and any relevant cloud platforms. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for AI and how you can contribute to our team. Be sure to mention specific projects or experiences that relate to the job description.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t hold back on showcasing your technical expertise! Include details about your experience with Google AI SDKs, orchestration frameworks, and any production-grade systems you've built. We love seeing hands-on experience!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at NowVertical
✨Know Your AI Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Large Language Models and multi-agent systems. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with Google AI SDKs and orchestration frameworks like LangGraph or CrewAI. They’ll want to see that you can not only talk the talk but also walk the walk when it comes to building production-grade AI systems.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share specific examples of how you've tackled complex AI challenges in the past. Think about times when you’ve designed stateful agents or optimised AI workflows for latency and output quality. This is your chance to demonstrate your ability to think critically and creatively under pressure.
✨Get Familiar with Their Tech Stack
Since this role involves working across GCP, Azure, and AWS, make sure you’re comfortable discussing your experience with these platforms. Brush up on Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD practices, as they’ll likely ask how you’ve deployed and managed AI systems in the cloud.
✨Be Ready to Lead and Mentor
As a Senior AI Engineer, you’ll be expected to take on a leadership role. Prepare to discuss how you’ve mentored junior engineers in the past and how you approach technical leadership. They’ll want to know how you can elevate the team and contribute to shaping their AI platform strategy.
