Applied AI Engineer

Applied AI Engineer

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Xapien

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Prototype and improve AI systems while driving meaningful changes.
  • Company: Join Xapien, a fast-growing AI-driven due diligence startup.
  • Benefits: Enjoy unlimited holidays, private health insurance, and a £1k development fund.
  • Other info: Be part of a dynamic environment with global growth opportunities.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of AI and make a real impact in a small team.
  • Qualifications: Top-tier CS/maths/engineering background and experience with LLM systems.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

Prototype, evaluate, ship, measure, improve. Design evals that measure what matters, driving meaningful improvements. Shape and ship what's next - high ownership. The craft is in careful prompting, tight loops, sharp evals, and spotting when the agent's quietly wrong.

Top-uni CS / maths / engineering / science, or equivalent in what you've built. Shipped production LLM systems — RAG, prompting, agents. You've worked somewhere fast — startup or strong tech team — and make good calls on imperfect information. You know software engineering: you’ve launched systems, responded to incidents, designed for failure. You scope problems, own solutions, and help decide what we build next. Small team — it matters.

Every business needs to know who they’re really working with whether it’s suppliers, investors, partners, or third parties. At Xapien, we’re reinventing how organisations do that, combining speed, scale and accuracy with cutting-edge AI. Since 2018, we’ve grown from a deep-tech startup to a global player in AI-driven due diligence and risk intelligence. With new regulations, rising compliance pressure and growing reputation risks, organisations everywhere are demanding smarter, faster ways to work and they’re turning to us.

Customers worldwide from global law firms and private banks to universities and nonprofits rely on Xapien to turn days of manual research into trusted insights, delivered in minutes. Customers in a diverse range of industries, with particular growth in wealth management, financial services and supply chain onboarding. Demand accelerating beyond our UK headquarters, across multiple continents with new customers in the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania.

Whether you’re in marketing, communications, sales, or finance, you’ll play a critical role in driving growth, building credibility, and defining how we connect our product to a rapidly evolving market. We’re scaling fast with more customers, more releases, and bigger regulatory and market challenges. You won’t just be executing campaigns, closing deals, or managing numbers, you’ll be influencing strategy, optimising processes, and helping position a brand that’s setting the new standard for trust and transparency.

We are going to work with you - to build a rewarding and fulfilling career with the opportunities, challenges and resources you need to do your best work. We succeed together - you will own a meaningful part of the business through our employee shares & equity programme. Private health insurance to keep you in tip-top condition. Life Insurance – let's hope nobody ever needs this! Unlimited holidays – yes, it really is uncapped – take the time you need, when you need it. Everyone is learning, developing and challenging themselves so we have a £1k professional development fund per year if you want to learn new skills, even new things outside of work. Most importantly of all, we will work with you, to help you realise your fullest potential, always.

Applied AI Engineer employer: Xapien

At Xapien, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. As an Applied AI Engineer, you'll enjoy unparalleled growth opportunities, including a generous professional development fund and the chance to own a meaningful part of the business through our employee shares programme. With unlimited holidays and private health insurance, we prioritise your well-being while you contribute to our mission of redefining trust and transparency in AI-driven due diligence.

Xapien

Contact Details:

Xapien Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Applied AI Engineer

Tip Number 1

Get your hands dirty with projects that showcase your skills. Build prototypes or contribute to open-source projects related to AI and LLM systems. This not only sharpens your craft but also gives you real-world examples to discuss in interviews.

Tip Number 2

Network like a pro! Attend meetups, webinars, or conferences in the AI space. Connect with industry professionals on LinkedIn and don’t hesitate to reach out for informational chats. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!

Tip Number 3

Prepare for technical interviews by practising coding challenges and system design problems. Use platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your skills. Remember, it’s all about demonstrating your problem-solving abilities under pressure.

Tip Number 4

Apply through our website! We’re looking for passionate individuals who want to shape the future of AI. Tailor your application to highlight how your experience aligns with our mission at Xapien, and show us why you’re the perfect fit for our small, dynamic team.

We think you need these skills to ace Applied AI Engineer

Prototyping
Evaluation Design
Production LLM Systems
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
Prompting Techniques
Incident Response
Software Engineering

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Craft:When you're writing your application, make sure to highlight your experience with LLM systems and how you've shaped and shipped projects in the past. We want to see your ownership and the impact of your work!

Be Specific About Your Skills:Don’t just list your qualifications; dive into the nitty-gritty of your software engineering skills. Talk about how you've scoped problems and owned solutions, especially in fast-paced environments like startups or tech teams.

Tailor Your Application:Make your application stand out by tailoring it to our job description. Use the same language we do, and connect your experiences directly to what we’re looking for. It shows us you really get what we're about!

Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!

How to prepare for a job interview at Xapien

Know Your Stuff

Make sure you’re well-versed in the latest AI technologies and methodologies, especially around LLM systems, RAG, and prompting. Brush up on your software engineering skills and be ready to discuss any projects you've shipped that relate to these areas.

Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills

Prepare examples of how you've scoped problems and owned solutions in previous roles. Think about times when you had to make decisions with imperfect information and how you navigated those challenges.

Understand the Company’s Mission

Familiarise yourself with Xapien’s goals and the industries they serve. Be ready to discuss how your skills can contribute to their mission of reinventing due diligence and risk intelligence, and how you can help them scale further.

Ask Insightful Questions

Prepare thoughtful questions that show your interest in the role and the company. Inquire about their approach to measuring success in AI projects or how they handle regulatory challenges. This demonstrates your engagement and strategic thinking.