IT Development Engineer (AI and Automation), Carpenter House, Perth - PKC13692

Main Purpose of the Role

Working within Perth & Kinross Council is more than a job; it’s about being part of an organisation that puts people at the heart of all we do and provides opportunities to make a real difference by enhancing every life we touch. We currently have the following opportunity: IT Development Engineer - AI and Automation (Fixed Term until 31 March 2027) - PKC13692.

Build AI that makes a real difference to public services in Perth and Kinross. Perth & Kinross Council is one of Scotland's most forward-thinking local authorities on AI adoption, and this role sits at the centre of that work. As AI Development Engineer, you will support the design, build, and deployment of AI-powered solutions that directly improve how the Council operates and how services are delivered to residents across Perth and Kinross. You will be supporting real things, at pace such as intelligent web applications, automation pipelines, and data-driven tools.

What you will be doing day-to-day:

• Supporting the design and building of AI-powered applications and automation solutions to solve live service delivery challenges across the Council.
• Supporting the integrating of Azure AI services (Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search, Azure Functions, Azure Static Web Apps) into existing business workflows and new digital products.
• Supporting the deployment and governance of Microsoft 365 Copilot, including prompt engineering, adoption analytics, and licence management tooling.
• Contributing to the Council's AI governance framework by building solutions that are responsible, secure, and compliant from the outset, including input to Data Protection Impact Assessments.
• Working directly with service teams to understand operational challenges and translate them into working solutions.

Please note, we are currently unable to offer sponsorship for this post.

Skills & Experience Required

Experience and knowledge - essential:

• Practical experience supporting the development and deployment applications using cloud platforms, ideally Microsoft Azure (Azure Functions, Azure Static Web Apps, Azure SQL, or equivalent services).
• Working knowledge of AI and machine learning services, particularly large language model APIs — Azure OpenAI, OpenAI API, or similar.
• Proficiency in at least one modern programming language: Python, JavaScript/Node.js, or TypeScript.
• Understanding of information security principles, data governance, and responsible AI development.
• Ability to translate non-technical service requirements into working technical solutions.
• Clear and confident communication. You can explain what you have built and why it matters to a non-technical audience.

Experience and knowledge - desirable:

• Experience with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem: Copilot Studio, Power Platform, SharePoint, Teams.
• Familiarity with Azure AI Search, vector search, or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) approaches.
• Experience in a public sector, regulated, or data-sensitive working environment.
• Knowledge of AI governance, DPIA processes, or responsible AI standards.

Personal attributes we are looking for:

• You are curious and self-directing.
• You explore new tools and approaches without waiting to be asked.
• You treat security and data governance as a starting point, not an afterthought.
• You are comfortable making sound judgements with incomplete information, and you care about the end result: better services for residents and more productive working for staff.

Essential Qualifications / Requirements:

• HNC (SCQF Level 7) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a closely related technical discipline — or equivalent relevant experience in software development, cloud application development, or AI tooling that demonstrates the same level of technical competence.
• We recognise that in a fast-moving field like AI, hands-on experience is often the strongest indicator of capability. Candidates who do not hold a formal qualification but can demonstrate relevant practical experience through their work history and supporting statement are strongly encouraged to apply.

Working at Perth & Kinross Council

Our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours.

Here’s what we can offer you:

• A generous annual leave package.
• 6 days public holiday and an additional discretionary day.
• Eligibility to join our pension scheme.
• Family friendly and positive work/life balance policies such as Flexible Working, Maternity, Paternity & Adoption leave, time off for volunteering and our Wellbeing Framework.
• Flexi time.
• Access to a range of benefits.

We recognise there can be benefits to flexible working and where individual jobs allow, we seek to support this. You are encouraged to discuss potential options with the recruiting manager, if this is of interest to you. A healthy work-life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and, where possible, flexible working arrangements to help you achieve that balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.

For purposes of connection and collaboration with colleagues and with the community we serve, our full-time employees work on site for a minimum of 2 days per week with the arrangements for part-time employees being agreed on a basis which will ensure that they benefit to an equivalent degree.

We are committed to being a more inclusive employer - to ensure we can consider any reasonable adjustments, please either contact the recruiting manager to discuss any individual circumstances, discuss at interview or, if you prefer, after any conditional offer is made.

Next Steps

We would love to hear from you and would encourage you to get in touch with Chris Wright at cwright@pkc.gov.uk to find out more.

Click “APPLY NOW”. External candidates are required to provide contact details for 2 referees, including email addresses. One of these must be your current or most recent employer. Internal applicants applying for secondment must obtain line manager approval through the secondment form available under My Forms – Secondment Request Form on MyView. Please note that secondment requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

We welcome applications from everyone and as a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to interview applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential requirements of the post. Please contact the hiring manager above or the Recruitment Team on (01738) 475555 or recruitment@pkc.gov.uk to discuss any reasonable adjustments.

Appointments are based on evidence supplied during the selection process. Diversity is important to us and although some of our jobs may be perceived to be traditionally gender specific, we welcome applications from everyone and would encourage you to apply if you meet the job requirements. That includes welcoming applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.

To comply with Baseline Personnel Security Standard, you will be required to complete a Disclosure Scotland check. If you have lived overseas for a period of 12 months or more (continuous or total) within the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. A confirmed offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of the above-mentioned mandatory pre-employment checks (including references) and will also include eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and fitness to undertake the post.