At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build cutting-edge AI systems that make a real impact.
- Company: Join The Stepstone Group, a leader in fair and equitable hiring.
- Benefits: Enjoy 29 days holiday, private healthcare, and a hybrid working model.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI technology and shape the future of work.
- Qualifications: Strong software engineering skills in Python and cloud platforms like AWS.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
At The Stepstone Group, we have a simple yet very important mission: The right job for everyone. Using our data, platform, and technology, we create opportunities for jobseekers and companies around the world to find a perfect match in a fair and equitable way. With over 20 brands across 30+ countries, we strive for fair and unbiased hiring. Join our team of 3,000+ employees and be part of reshaping the labour market and becoming the world's leading job platform.
We are recruiting for a Staff Software Engineer (AI) to help design, build and evolve production-grade agentic AI systems. This is a strategic, hands-on engineering leadership role focused on integrating Large Language Models into scalable, secure, reliable and observable architectures. This is an individual contributor leadership role with no direct line management responsibility. You will help move our agentic AI capabilities beyond experimentation and into dependable products that operate safely and effectively at scale across our global marketplace.
Working closely with software engineers, machine learning engineers, data scientists, product managers, analysts and technical leaders, you will shape how we build, test, deploy, monitor and govern AI-powered systems. Success in this role will depend as much on influence and communication as on technical depth. You will need to create alignment across teams, explain complex concepts clearly, and help others make confident, pragmatic decisions.
Your responsibilities:
- Design, architect and deliver agentic, LLM-powered systems in AWS, ensuring production readiness, scalability, reliability and security.
- Provide technical leadership to evolve AI solutions from experimentation into robust, observable and maintainable products.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with product, engineering, ML and data teams to align technical decisions with user needs, business priorities and long-term platform strategy.
- Define and drive engineering standards, reusable patterns, tools and best practices for building responsible, consistent and scalable AI systems.
- Lead large-scale implementation and deployment, ensuring excellence across testing, monitoring, evaluation, guardrails and operational support, while clearly communicating architectural decisions and mentoring engineers to raise overall engineering quality.
Qualifications:
- Strong Staff-level software engineering background with expertise in Python and at least one of Java, TypeScript or .NET, and a proven track record delivering production-grade systems.
- Experience designing, building and operating distributed systems on AWS (or similar cloud platforms), including secure development, data protection, compliance and enterprise architecture principles.
- Hands-on experience integrating LLMs into production, including use of APIs (e.g. OpenAI, Bedrock), prompt orchestration, tool usage and interaction patterns.
- Expertise in AI system design including state management, memory strategies, evaluation approaches, guardrails, observability and performance optimisation for LLM-powered systems.
- Strong communication and influencing skills, with experience mentoring engineers and driving high standards across teams while engaging both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Additional Information:
Your benefits: We’re a community here that cares as much about your life outside work as how you feel when you’re with us. Because your job shouldn’t take over your life, it should enrich it. Here are some of the benefits we offer:
- 29 days holiday allowance + bank holidays
- Private medical and dental healthcare
- Matching pension contribution of 4 or 5% (after 3 years of service up to 10%)
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Life Assurance Cover
- Cycle to work scheme
- Hybrid working model (3 days working from the office)
- Volunteering days and you can bring your dog to the office on Mondays and Fridays!
Our commitment: Equal opportunities are important to us. We believe that diversity and inclusion at The Stepstone Group are critical to our success as a global company, so we want to recruit, develop, and keep the best talent. We encourage applications from everyone, regardless of background, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity, belief, age, family or parental status, and any other characteristic. As a global business we further our DEI and sustainability progress by working with national and international bodies and are proud to have been recognised for our work - both locally and internationally.
Staff Software Engineer employer: Stepstone UK
At The Stepstone Group, we prioritise a work-life balance and foster a supportive community that values both personal and professional growth. With generous benefits such as 29 days of holiday, private healthcare, and a hybrid working model, we empower our employees to thrive in their roles while contributing to our mission of reshaping the labour market. Join us in a collaborative environment where your expertise in AI systems will directly impact our global platform and help create equitable job opportunities for all.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Software Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage with online communities. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Staff Software Engineer role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those involving AI and LLMs. 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 brushing up on your technical knowledge and soft skills. Practice explaining complex concepts clearly, as communication is key in this role. Mock interviews can help you feel more confident!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Staff Software Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Staff Software Engineer role. Highlight your experience with AI systems, Python, and cloud platforms like AWS. We want to see how your skills align with our mission!
Showcase Your Projects:Include specific examples of projects where you've integrated LLMs or built scalable systems. We love seeing real-world applications of your skills, so don’t hold back on the details!
Communicate Clearly:Since this role involves influencing and mentoring, demonstrate your communication skills in your application. Use clear language to explain complex concepts and show us how you can engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Stepstone UK
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Python and at least one of Java, TypeScript, or .NET. Brush up on your experience with AWS and distributed systems, as you'll need to demonstrate your ability to design and deliver production-grade AI systems.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Even though this is an individual contributor role, your ability to influence and communicate effectively is key. Prepare examples of how you've led projects or mentored others, and be ready to discuss how you can align technical decisions with business priorities.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect questions about integrating Large Language Models into production. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with APIs like OpenAI and Bedrock, as well as your approach to state management and performance optimisation in AI systems.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
This role involves working closely with various teams. Think of examples where you’ve successfully collaborated with product managers, data scientists, or other engineers. Highlight your communication skills and how you’ve helped bridge gaps between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
