At a Glance
- Tasks: Develop and maintain innovative AI solutions for Commodities Trading.
- Company: Join Trafigura, a leader in digital transformation and AI technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, diverse workforce, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborate with a dynamic team driving AI-powered evolution in a global company.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming the way commodities trading operates.
- Qualifications: 5-8+ years in AI/ML systems, strong Python skills, and cloud engineering experience.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Main Purpose
Trafigura is undergoing an exciting Digital Transformation, developing innovative AI technologies to change the way we work in Commodities Trading. The Document AI team is a key pillar of this initiative, unlocking data-rich proprietary documents to enable high-value process optimisation and data science use cases. We are seeking an Applied AI Engineer to grow our Document AI platform, developing robust and scalable AI solutions that solve real business problems. As a document intensive industry, you will be building production-ready Agentic AI/LLM systems that radically transform Commodities Trading. This is a hands-on Individual Contributor role.
Required Qualifications
- 5-8+ years of experience building production AI/ML systems
- Modern Python proficiency with deep knowledge of the ecosystem (Pydantic, FastAPI, asyncio, type safety)
- Experience with modern AI frameworks (we currently favour Pydantic AI)
- Production experience maintaining human-in-the-loop systems and AI monitoring/observability
- Strong fundamentals in AI/ML evaluation frameworks
- Experience building agentic systems including MCP, tool calling, memory systems, vector-based knowledge stores, guardrails
- In depth understanding of modern software design principles (e.g. microservices, event-driven architectures, domain driven design, object oriented programming, test driven development)
- In depth understanding of modern software development lifecycle (CI/CD, IaC, Containerisation)
- Practical experience with cloud engineering (preference for AWS)
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience in Commodities, Fixed Income, Equities, Asset Management is a plus
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain Python-based AI applications
- Build and maintain document workflows using LLMs and classical NLP
- Debug model performance issues, handle edge cases, and optimize system reliability
- Write comprehensive tests and implement monitoring for AI/ML systems
- Rapidly prototype new features, evaluate them, and implement to production
- Participate in code reviews, technical design discussions, and architecture decisions
- Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to understand and translate business requirements into production code
Example projects you might own in the first 6 months include:
- Develop a specialised agent to automate highly complex commodity trading workflow
- Develop an agent to operate within human workflows, including seamless UI integrations and long running durable executions
- Develop a new AI product to extract key insights from firmwide market intelligence emails for front and middle office
Attributes for success
- Engineering mindset focused on delivering practical solutions that solve real business problems
- Self-directed and comfortable working autonomously with minimal supervision
- Pragmatic approach to technology choices - you pick the right tool for the job rather than chasing trends
- Deep appreciation for AI system reliability - you understand that making AI systems work consistently is the hardest part of the job
- Intellectually curious and adaptable to rapidly evolving AI/ML landscape
- Strong desire to help people solve problems
Key Relationships
You will work closely with the Digital Transformation Team to understand business requirements and rollout production-grade applications to solve them. You will support the Data Science & Engineering teams as a Centre of Excellence for Agentic AI and related tech, providing support in the form of knowledge sharing and tool adoption.
Department Overview
The Digital Transformation Team is a joint venture between Trading Technology and the Data Science and Engineering Team, driving Trafigura's AI-powered evolution in commodities trading. As a Centre of Excellence for Agentic AI, we develop scalable applications that impact over 5,000 employees daily, supporting both immediate business needs and broader data science initiatives across Trafigura's global operations.
Reporting Structure
You will report directly to the Document AI Lead.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or handicap, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Summary
Location: London, United Kingdom
Type: Full time
Applied AI Engineer in London employer: Trafigura
At Trafigura, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation in the heart of Harrow. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through comprehensive training programmes and career advancement opportunities, ensuring that our team members thrive both personally and professionally. With competitive benefits and a focus on work-life balance, Trafigura stands out as a rewarding place to build a meaningful career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Applied AI Engineer in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Trafigura or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Trafigura.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Trafigura.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Trafigura that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Applied AI Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Trafigura.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Trafigura and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Trafigura
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Trafigura uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
