At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and implement cutting-edge AI workflows for enterprise customers.
- Company: Leading US-based AI company expanding into the UK.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, dynamic work environment, and opportunity to shape the UK office.
- Other info: Join a world-class team and enjoy excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Be a founding member and make a real impact in AI deployment.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in software/AI engineering with strong system design skills.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
An industry-leading US-based AI company, known for building and deploying generative AI systems that transform large-scale enterprise operations is expanding into the UK. As their UK Founding Engineer, you’ll be the first local member of a high-performing global team, helping to build the engineering and deployment presence from the ground up and moving forwards, help lead the UK office/function.
The Role
As a Forward Deployed AI Engineer, you’ll work directly with enterprise customers to build, operate, and continuously improve production-grade GenAI systems. This is a hands-on, impact-driven role where you’ll design and iterate on end-to-end solutions that blend models, agents, data, and evaluation frameworks into reliable, scalable deployments. As the first UK hire, you’ll build alongside a world-class engineering and research team deploying frontier AI capabilities and will be enabled to shape the foundation of their UK function and engineering culture; whilst working on systems that move beyond prototypes.
What You’ll Do
- Design and implement compound AI workflows that combine models, retrieval, evaluation, and execution into cohesive production systems.
- Operate on live AI deployments: monitor behaviour, identify failure modes, and iterate continuously to improve performance and reliability.
- Integrate systems into real customer environments; from data platforms and APIs to business applications.
- Collaborate directly with enterprise teams, often in high-visibility projects, explaining technical trade-offs and outcomes with clarity.
- Take ownership of real-world outcomes, ensuring AI systems deliver measurable business value and adapt as client needs evolve.
Skills and experience required
- 7+ years of hands-on software/AI engineering experience (Python preferred).
- Strong foundation in system design, debugging, testing, and performance optimization.
- Proven experience building LLM and AI-driven applications - not just using APIs, but composing prompts, models, agents, and evaluation mechanisms into operational systems.
- Comfortable working in dynamic customer-facing environments and communicating clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Naturally curious about AI and proactive in experimenting with new tools and techniques.
- Willingness to travel occasionally (25–50%).
For further information and immediate consideration, please get in touch.
Founding Engineer - Forward Deployed AI Engineer in London employer: Stott and May
As a pioneering AI company expanding into the UK, we offer an exceptional opportunity for the Founding Engineer to shape our local presence and culture from the ground up. Our collaborative work environment fosters innovation and growth, providing you with the chance to lead high-impact projects while working alongside a world-class team. With a focus on employee development and a commitment to deploying cutting-edge AI solutions, we ensure that your contributions will not only drive business success but also enhance your professional journey.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer - Forward Deployed AI Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. The more you engage, the better your chances of landing that Founding Engineer role.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository that highlights your AI projects and engineering prowess. This gives you a chance to demonstrate your hands-on experience and creativity to potential employers.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and scenarios related to AI systems. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to get comfortable with the process.
✨Tip Number 4
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 and genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer - Forward Deployed AI Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experience mentioned in the job description. Highlight your hands-on software/AI engineering experience and any relevant projects you've worked on that showcase your ability to design and implement AI systems.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell us why you're excited about this role and how you can contribute to our team. Be specific about your experience with generative AI systems and how you've successfully integrated them into customer environments.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In your application, include examples of how you've tackled challenges in previous roles. We want to see your thought process and how you approach debugging, testing, and performance optimisation in real-world scenarios.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother application process. This way, we can easily track your application and get back to you faster!
How to prepare for a job interview at Stott and May
✨Know Your AI Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of generative AI systems and how they transform enterprise operations. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with building LLM and AI-driven applications, as well as any specific projects you've worked on that demonstrate your skills in system design and performance optimisation.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share examples of how you've tackled challenges in previous roles, especially in dynamic customer-facing environments. Think about times when you identified failure modes in live deployments and how you iterated to improve performance. This will show your proactive approach and ability to deliver measurable business value.
✨Communicate Clearly
Since you'll be working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms. You might be asked to discuss technical trade-offs during the interview, so being able to articulate your thought process clearly will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Emphasise Your Curiosity
Demonstrate your natural curiosity about AI by discussing any new tools or techniques you've experimented with recently. This shows that you're not just a passive learner but someone who actively seeks out knowledge and is eager to innovate within the field.
