Lead Digital Engineer - AI

Hybrid – Attached to our Solihull, London or Hook office

Full Time, Permanent

Band 4 / £60,000 - £70,000 (dependent on experience)

Here at Serco, we’re looking for a Lead Digital Engineer with strong AI experience to design, build, and deliver intelligent digital solutions that improve operations, automate processes, and enhance customer experience. This is a hands-on engineering role with an AI edge - focused on embedding AI into real systems, not just building models in isolation. You’ll work across multiple teams to turn AI capabilities into production-ready services, integrating them into apps, workflows, and business platforms.

We need someone who can build and integrate AI into real digital products - turning smart ideas into working systems that deliver value. As part of this you’ll:

• Build and deliver AI-enabled digital solutions across cloud, data, and integration platforms
• Develop and integrate machine learning models and AI services into real-world applications and workflows
• Design and implement APIs, automation pipelines, and data-driven services
• Translate business needs into practical AI-powered features and solutions
• Work across product, data, and engineering teams to deliver incremental, high-quality solutions
• Contribute to reusable components, frameworks, and AI-enabled accelerators
• Ensure solutions are secure, scalable, and production-ready
• Support deployment, monitoring, and ongoing improvement of AI-enabled services

What you’ll need to do the role:

• Strong experience building and integrating AI/ML into applications and business processes
• Proven ability to take solutions from model → API → production system
• Experience delivering AI-driven solutions such as automation, intelligent workflows, NLP, and predictive or decision-support systems
• Strong programming skills (Python plus C#, JavaScript/TypeScript, or similar)
• Experience building APIs, microservices, data pipelines, and cloud-native applications
• Solid understanding of system design, scalability, data modelling, and secure, maintainable coding practices
• Hands-on experience with ML frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn)
• Experience deploying, monitoring, and managing AI models in production environments (MLOps)
• Strong experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or similar)
• Good understanding of CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (e.g. Terraform, Bicep), and automated testing/observability
• Comfortable working across multiple teams in fast-paced, delivery-focused environments
• Ability to break down complex problems and deliver practical, incremental solutions
• Strong communication skills, able to explain technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• SC clearance (or willingness to obtain it)

What we offer:

• Flexible working considered
• Pension – 6%
• Chance to contribute to innovation in the public services
• A company passionate about diversity and inclusion
• Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Simply Health Cash Plans, and more.
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations.
• A safe and supportive culture.

About Serco: At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services. We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Apply: Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.

For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000. At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.