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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and build Perplexity's London office, shaping culture and driving technical excellence.
- Company: Join a fast-growing AI company revolutionising information access.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, comprehensive benefits, and flexible work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on AI infrastructure and shape a thriving tech hub.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in software engineering with strong leadership and technical expertise.
- Other info: Exciting opportunity to grow teams and influence the future of AI.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Location: London
Employment Type: Full time
Department: AI
Perplexity is revolutionising how people discover and interact with information through AI-powered search and knowledge tools. As we expand our global footprint, we're establishing a strategic presence in London to drive innovation and growth across Europe.
The Role
We're seeking an exceptional Site Lead to establish and scale our London office. This is a unique opportunity to shape Perplexity's presence in one of the world's leading tech hubs, building teams and culture from the ground up while driving technical excellence in infrastructure and AI systems. As Site Lead, you'll serve as the face of Perplexity in London, responsible for building our technical organisation, fostering a world-class engineering culture, and directly managing one or more infrastructure teams. You'll report to senior leadership and work cross-functionally with teams across our global footprint.
Responsibilities
- Site Leadership & Culture
- Establish and lead Perplexity's London office, setting the cultural foundation and operating principles.
- Build a collaborative, high-performance engineering culture that aligns with Perplexity's values while embracing the strengths of the London tech ecosystem.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for all London-based activities and represent the site in company-wide strategic discussions.
- Partner with People/HR, Finance, and Operations to ensure seamless site operations.
- Drive local community engagement, partnerships, and Perplexity's brand presence in the London and European tech community.
- Technical Leadership
- Directly manage and mentor one or more infrastructure or AI infrastructure teams in London (5–15+ engineers).
- Set technical direction and strategy for London-based infrastructure initiatives in alignment with company-wide goals.
- Drive architectural decisions and technical excellence across teams.
- Ensure robust systems for deployment, monitoring, scalability, and reliability of infrastructure supporting AI/ML workloads.
- Collaborate with engineering leaders globally to align on technical standards, best practices, and cross-site initiatives.
- Team Building & Talent
- Build and scale high-performing infrastructure and AI infrastructure teams through strategic hiring.
- Develop and execute talent acquisition strategy for the London site in partnership with recruiting.
- Create career development frameworks and growth opportunities for engineers.
- Foster technical mentorship and knowledge sharing across teams and sites.
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Partner with Product, Engineering, and Research teams globally to understand infrastructure needs and deliver solutions.
- Coordinate with other site leads and engineering leaders to ensure effective cross-site collaboration.
- Contribute to company-wide infrastructure strategy and roadmap planning.
- Facilitate knowledge transfer and best practice sharing across global teams.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in software engineering with 5+ years in infrastructure, cloud infrastructure, or AI infrastructure roles.
- 3+ years of people management experience, including building and scaling teams.
- Proven track record of establishing or significantly growing an engineering site or office.
- Deep technical expertise in distributed systems, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), and infrastructure automation.
- Experience with infrastructure supporting large-scale AI/ML systems, including GPU infrastructure and orchestration, ML training and inference pipelines, and model serving and deployment at scale.
- Strong understanding of modern infrastructure technologies: Kubernetes, Terraform, container orchestration, CI/CD systems.
- Demonstrated ability to set technical vision and drive execution across multiple teams.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth technology companies.
- Passion for building inclusive, diverse, and high-performing teams.
Preferred
- Experience at companies focused on AI/ML, search, or large-scale consumer applications.
- Previous experience as a site lead, office lead, or similar multi-team leadership role.
- Background in building infrastructure for LLM training or inference.
- Contributions to open-source infrastructure or AI infrastructure projects.
- Experience scaling teams from 0 to 20+ engineers.
- Active involvement in the London or European tech community.
- MBA or advanced technical degree.
What Success Looks Like
- 30 Days
- Deep understanding of Perplexity's infrastructure, technology stack, and organisational structure.
- Established relationships with key stakeholders across engineering, product, and leadership.
- Initial hiring plan and culture strategy for London site established.
- Help the Search, API, AI and Infra teams build out their hiring pipelines.
- 90 Days
- Core infrastructure team established and ramping in London.
- Clear technical roadmap and priorities defined for London-based teams.
- Site culture and operating rhythms established (team meetings, all-hands, cross-site syncs).
- London office actively participating in company-wide infrastructure initiatives.
- 1 Year
- London site operating as a high-functioning hub with 15–30+ engineers.
- Infrastructure teams delivering measurable impact on system reliability, performance, and scalability.
- Strong talent brand established in London market with healthy hiring pipeline.
- London recognised internally as a strategic site contributing to Perplexity's technical leadership.
Why Join Perplexity
- Ground-floor opportunity to build and lead a strategic site for a fast-growing AI company.
- Work on cutting-edge AI infrastructure challenges at massive scale.
- Shape the culture and technical direction of an entire office.
- Competitive compensation including equity.
- Comprehensive benefits package.
- Flexible work environment.
- Opportunity to make a significant impact on how millions of people access and interact with information.
Location: London, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
Perplexity is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Engineering Site Lead employer: Pantera Capital
Contact Detail:
Pantera Capital Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Site Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the London tech scene. Attend meetups, conferences, or even casual coffee chats. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or any projects that highlight your expertise in infrastructure or AI, make sure to share them. A strong online presence can really set you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just apply—engage! When you find a role you’re keen on, reach out to current employees on LinkedIn. Ask about their experiences and express your interest. This can help you stand out and show your genuine enthusiasm for the company.
✨Tip Number 4
Keep it local! Apply through our website for the best chance at landing that Site Lead position. We’re looking for someone who’s ready to dive into the London tech community, so let us see how you can contribute!
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Site Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for AI: When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for AI and technology shine through. We want to see how you connect with our mission at Perplexity and how you can contribute to our innovative culture.
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in infrastructure and team management. We’re looking for someone who can build and lead teams, so share specific examples of how you've done this in the past.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you a great fit for the Site Lead role. Remember, less is often more!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at Perplexity.
How to prepare for a job interview at Pantera Capital
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the technical requirements for the Engineering Site Lead role. Brush up on your knowledge of distributed systems, cloud platforms like AWS or GCP, and infrastructure automation tools such as Kubernetes and Terraform. Being able to discuss these topics confidently will show that you're ready to take on the challenges of the position.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves managing teams and building a collaborative culture, be prepared to share examples of your past leadership experiences. Talk about how you've successfully built and scaled teams, mentored engineers, and fostered an inclusive environment. Highlighting your people management skills will demonstrate that you can lead effectively in a fast-paced tech environment.
✨Align with Company Values
Perplexity values innovation and community engagement, so make sure to express your passion for these areas during the interview. Discuss any previous experiences where you've contributed to local tech communities or driven innovative projects. This will show that you not only fit the role but also align with the company's mission and culture.
✨Prepare Questions
Interviews are a two-way street, so come prepared with thoughtful questions about the company’s vision, the team dynamics, and the specific challenges the London office is facing. This not only shows your interest in the role but also helps you gauge if the company is the right fit for you. Plus, it gives you a chance to engage with your interviewers on a deeper level.
