At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build AI-driven workflows on a cutting-edge platform.
- Company: Innovative UK AI company focused on defence and national security.
- Benefits: Share options, flexible working, and direct access to founders.
- Other info: Opportunity for technical leadership as the team grows.
- Why this job: Join a small, senior team where your decisions make an immediate impact.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software engineering with strong Python and AI experience.
The predicted salary is between 81000 - 99000 £ per year.
Senior hands-on role inside a growing AI Solutions Engineering function.
Building agentic and LLM-driven workflows on a proprietary AI operating system.
AI deployed into defence and national security settings, not internal demos.
About the Company: My client is a UK sovereign AI company building an AI operating and orchestration layer that puts intelligent systems to work in some of the most demanding environments in the country, spanning defence, national security, policing and financial services. The platform is already in service with UK Strategic Command. The engineering group is small, senior and unusually fast moving, with AI tooling built into how the team genuinely works rather than bolted on afterwards.
The Role: This role sits in the AI Solutions Engineering team, the group that takes the core platform and turns it into working, deployed capability for customers. You will design AI workflows, build retrieval and agent pipelines, and prove they hold up under scrutiny in environments where approximately right is not good enough. There is real autonomy here; you will own technical decisions end to end and be the person both the customer and the engineering team rely on. It suits someone technically strong, commercially aware and comfortable being the only AI expert in the room.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and build AI-driven workflows and agentic pipelines on the core platform.
- Translate ambiguous customer problems into deployable technical solutions.
- Own retrieval, prompting and orchestration design decisions end to end.
- Build evaluation harnesses that prove solution quality before anything reaches production.
- Partner with customers through discovery, proof of concept and live deployment.
- Feed recurring solution patterns back into the core product roadmap.
- Mentor engineers joining the Solutions Engineering function.
- Represent the technical story credibly to senior customer stakeholders.
What You'll Need:
Essential:
- 5+ years in software engineering, applied AI or solutions engineering.
- Strong Python and hands-on production experience with large language models.
- Practical experience with retrieval augmented generation and agent frameworks.
- Evidence of using AI development tooling as part of your daily working practice.
- Comfortable working directly with demanding external stakeholders.
- Eligible for UK security clearance.
Desirable / Nice to Have:
- Exposure to defence, national security or another high-consequence regulated sector.
- Experience with LLM evaluation frameworks such as RAGAS, DeepEval or LangSmith.
Why Apply?
- Small senior team where your technical decisions carry weight immediately.
- Share options as part of the package.
- Genuine AI-first engineering culture, with modern tooling expected and encouraged.
- Flexible working pattern.
- Clear route into technical leadership as the Solutions function grows.
- Direct access to founders and senior leadership.
Next Steps: If this looks like your kind of problem, send your CV to Brendan McCrory at Happy to have a straight, no-pressure conversation about it first if you would rather.
Benefits: Work From Home
Senior AI Solutions Engineer in London employer: Ocho
Join a forward-thinking UK technology company that is at the forefront of AI innovation, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a supportive and fast-paced environment. With a strong emphasis on mentorship from senior engineers, flexible working patterns, and the chance to own your projects early on, this role offers a unique pathway for professional growth in AI engineering. The company's commitment to an AI-first culture ensures that you will be working with cutting-edge tools and technologies, making a real impact in complex customer environments.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior AI Solutions Engineer in London
✨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 Ocho 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 Ocho.
✨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 Ocho.
✨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 Ocho 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 Senior AI Solutions Engineer in London
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 Ocho.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Ocho 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 Ocho
✨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 Ocho 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.
