At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of AI solutions and collaborate with clients to create impactful applications.
- Company: Whitespace, a leader in smarter AI solutions for enterprises.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, EMI share options, flexible working, and a 4-day work week during holidays.
- Other info: Enjoy a creative, agile environment with opportunities for mentorship and professional growth.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team shaping the future of AI in high-assurance environments.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software engineering with experience in LLM-powered applications and client engagement.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 85000 € per year.
Department: Engineering
Hours: Full-time
Reporting to: Head of Solutions Engineering
Salary: £70,000 - £85,000 p.a. (+EMI share options)
About Whitespace
Whitespace leads in creating smarter, safer AI solutions for enterprises. As AI presents transformative opportunities, many companies struggle to harness its full potential.
Whitespace bridges this gap with Collective - The AI Operating System for high-assurance environments. Built for scale, trust and action - even in the most secure, complex or disconnected settings.
We\'re not just building AI systems. We\'re laying the foundation for a future where humans and machines work together like never before.
Role Summary
The successful AI Solutions Engineer will extend and enhance our AI Operating System, which leverages LLMs to solve industry-specific challenges across defence, legal, health, infrastructure and management consulting sectors.
This is a hands-on lead role focused on rapidly prototyping and deploying AI-powered solutions. Working directly with clients, you will translate their needs into scalable, production-ready AI applications using modern frameworks and techniques.
Duties & Responsibilities
Technical Development
- Develop platform functionality using Python, building APIs and integrations to extend capabilities for diverse client needs.
- Design and implement LLM-powered applications and workflows using open source models such as Llama, Qwen and Gemma, as well as those online models from OpenAI, Gemini, etc.
- Build AI agents with tool/function calling, prompt engineering and appropriate guardrails using frameworks such as OpenAI AgentSDK, LangGraph or LlamaIndex.
- Implement testing and evaluation frameworks for LLM applications, covering prompt testing, output quality metrics and agent behaviour validation.
- Apply relevant AI technologies as needed, including retrieval systems (RAG, GraphRAG), knowledge graphs, vector databases or data pipelines.
Solution Design and Implementation
- Design and deliver scalable, efficient solutions tailored to client-specific requirements whilst balancing innovation with practical constraints around compliance, performance, cost and security.
- Lead technical discussions, diagnose complex challenges and provide guidance to less experienced team members.
Client Engagement and Collaboration
- Work directly with clients to gather requirements and translate them into actionable AI-powered solutions, moving rapidly from concept to working prototype.
- Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including system capabilities and limitations.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical knowledge sharing within the team.
Role Requirements
Work Experience
- At least five years as a software engineer on commercial platforms, with demonstrable experience building production LLM-powered applications.
- Proven experience with API-level LLM usage, including tool/function calling, prompt engineering and evaluation.
- Experience with agent frameworks (OpenAI AgentSDK, LangGraph, LlamaIndex Agents or similar).
- Experience developing APIs using FastAPI or similar frameworks and integrating with third-party platforms.
- Direct client-facing experience gathering requirements and delivering technical implementations.
- Experience within agile development workflows and engineering teams.
Skills & Abilities
- Strong Python (or similar) programming skills with a focus on production-grade applications.
- Excellent communication abilities, translating complex technical concepts for diverse audiences.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving approach, identifying scalable and reusable solutions.
- Leadership qualities, including technical mentorship, team collaboration and line management.
- Ability to align solutions with business goals and industry-specific constraints.
- Self-sufficient contributor capable of working independently and seeking support when needed.
Nice to Have
The following are examples of specialised areas that would be valuable. Deep expertise in some of these areas is preferred over surface-level knowledge across all domains.
- Open source LLMs (Llama, Qwen, Gemma, GPT OSS) and local deployment strategies.
- Frameworks and protocols such as Model Context Protocol (MCP) or Agent-to-Agent (A2A).
- LLM evaluation tooling (OpenAI Evals, LangSmith, custom evaluation harnesses).
- Advanced agent patterns: multi-agent systems, supervision, delegation strategies.
- RAG, GraphRAG and knowledge graph design and implementation.
- Vector databases and similarity search systems.
- Graph databases (ArangoDB, Neo4j, Neptune) and property graph modelling.
- Data engineering: ETL pipelines, document processing, schema design for AI applications.
- Cloud platforms (GCP preferred, AWS/Azure also relevant) and containerisation (Docker).
- Observability and monitoring for LLM applications (tracing, metrics, cost tracking).
- Secure coding practices for regulated industries and sensitive data handling.
- Frontend experience (React/Next.js) for rapid prototyping of client demos.
What We Offer
Work on impactful, cutting-edge products powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Be part of an agile, close-knit team that values creativity, quality, and continuous learning.
A flexible working environment, with typically 2 days of hybrid working in our Belfast office, and one of the best work-life balances you’ll find:
- A (Mon to Thurs) 4-day work week during the holidays - July, August and December
- The last Friday of every month off
- Early finish every working Friday at 3pm
- 25 days of annual leave, plus all NI bank holidays
- EMI Share options in a rapidly growing scale-up
Closing date: Open until filled
Solutions Engineer (Lead) in Newtownabbey employer: Whitespace
Whitespace is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and innovative work culture, where creativity and collaboration thrive. As a Solutions Engineer Lead, you will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI solutions in a supportive environment that prioritises employee growth through mentorship and continuous learning. With flexible working arrangements and unique benefits like a 4-day working week during holidays and early finishes on Fridays, Whitespace is committed to ensuring a rewarding and balanced work-life experience for its team members.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Solutions Engineer (Lead) in Newtownabbey
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who works at Whitespace. You never know when a casual chat could lead to your next big opportunity!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those involving AI and LLMs. This is your chance to demonstrate your hands-on experience and problem-solving abilities, which are key for the Solutions Engineer role.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by understanding Whitespace's mission and products. Familiarise yourself with their AI Operating System and think about how your experience aligns with their needs. Tailor your responses to show you’re the perfect fit for their team!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the Whitespace family!
We think you need these skills to ace Solutions Engineer (Lead) in Newtownabbey
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with LLM-powered applications and client engagement. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Whitespace!
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t hold back on detailing your programming prowess, especially in Python and API development. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so let us know about your hands-on experience with relevant frameworks.
Communicate Clearly:Remember, we value clear communication! When describing your past projects, explain complex concepts in a way that’s easy to understand. This will show us you can bridge the gap between 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 don’t miss out on any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Whitespace
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Python and LLM frameworks. Brush up on your experience with APIs and be ready to discuss specific projects where you've implemented these technologies.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share examples of how you've tackled complex challenges in previous roles. Think about specific instances where you designed scalable solutions or mentored junior engineers, as this will highlight your leadership qualities.
✨Engage with Clients Like a Pro
Since client engagement is key, practice articulating how you gather requirements and translate them into actionable solutions. Be ready to discuss how you’ve communicated technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders in the past.
✨Demonstrate Your Passion for AI
Whitespace is all about innovative AI solutions, so show your enthusiasm for the field! Discuss any personal projects or research you've done related to AI, and be prepared to talk about the latest trends and technologies in the industry.
