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AI Engineer Jobs

Developers who build and deploy AI systems, from research to production. A role that bridges the gap between theory and application, with a focus on creating intelligent software solutions.

Open roles
120
Salary range
£30k – £100k
Hiring companies
62
View 120 live roles → Get an alert

AI Engineers are at the forefront of technological innovation, designing and implementing AI systems that solve complex problems. They work across a range of industries, from tech giants to research-heavy startups, and their role involves both theoretical research and practical application. AI Engineers are responsible for developing algorithms, models, and systems that can learn from data, make predictions, and automate tasks. This role requires a strong foundation in computer science, mathematics, and statistics, as well as proficiency in programming languages like Python and frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch.

What the role does

Inside the role of an AI Engineer

A typical week for an AI Engineer is a mix of research, development, and collaboration. They spend time coding, testing, and refining models, while also engaging with cross-functional teams to integrate AI solutions into existing systems.

  1. 01
    Design and implement machine learning models
  2. 02
    Optimise algorithms for performance and efficiency
  3. 03
    Collaborate with data scientists and software engineers
  4. 04
    Conduct experiments and analyse results
  5. 05
    Document processes and findings
  6. 06
    Stay updated with the latest AI research and tools
Salary on the board

£30k – £100k

Based on advertised midpoints across the 360 priced listings posted in the last 12 months. Base salary only.

Salary visibility
31% of listings advertise a salary — up from 0% the year before.
By seniority
£k base
Mid
45
100
65 jobs
Senior
60
120
55 jobs
Lead
60
120
13 jobs
Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 170 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

Python
74%
RAG
32%
AWS
31%
Azure
29%
Machine Learning
28%
CI/CD
27%
LangChain
25%
AI
22%
Prompt Engineering
22%
Generative AI
22%
SQL
19%
GCP
19%
Career ladder

From Junior to Principal

A typical UK progression for ai engineers. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.

  1. Level 1

    Junior AI Engineer

    0–2 yrs

    Assist in the development and testing of AI models, with a focus on learning and gaining hands-on experience.

  2. Level 2

    AI Engineer

    2–5 yrs

    Take ownership of specific projects, from initial design to deployment, and contribute to the overall architecture of AI systems.

  3. Level 3

    Senior AI Engineer

    5–8 yrs

    Lead the development of complex AI solutions, mentor junior team members, and ensure the quality and reliability of AI systems.

  4. Level 4

    Principal AI Engineer

    8+ yrs

    Drive strategic initiatives, innovate in AI research, and guide the technical direction of the organisation.

Pathway

How to become a AI Engineer

There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.

  1. 1

    Learn the Fundamentals

    Gain a strong foundation in computer science, mathematics, and statistics. Familiarise yourself with programming languages like Python and AI frameworks.

  2. 2

    Build Practical Skills

    Work on personal or open-source projects to apply your knowledge. Participate in hackathons and coding challenges to gain real-world experience.

  3. 3

    Gain Industry Experience

    Start your career as a Junior AI Engineer, working on smaller projects and learning from more experienced colleagues.

  4. 4

    Specialise in a Domain

    Choose a specific area of AI, such as computer vision or natural language processing, and deepen your expertise in that domain.

  5. 5

    Lead Projects

    Take on more responsibility by leading AI projects, managing teams, and ensuring the successful delivery of AI solutions.

  6. 6

    Innovate and Influence

    Contribute to cutting-edge research, influence the direction of AI in your organisation, and mentor the next generation of AI Engineers.

Live jobs

120 live roles

See all 120 roles →
Luminance logo

AI Engineer

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Luminance, the pioneer of Legal-Grade™ AI for enterprise. Backed by internationally renowned VCs and named in both the Forbes AI 50 list of ‘Most Promising Private AI Companies in the World’ and Inc....

Luminance Cambridge, United Kingdom
Hybrid Permanent

AI Engineer

Design and build generative AI applications, intelligent assistants, and automation solutions using LLMs, RAG, and agentic AI frameworks. Work within a major enterprise AI programme for a global bank, integrating AI services via APIs and cloud platforms while supporting engineering teams in adopting cutting-edge AI technologies. Focus on real-world deployment of copilots and AI-driven workflows.

DCV Technologies London, United Kingdom £600 – £650 pd
Hybrid Contract Clearance Required

AI Engineer

Design and deploy production AI systems using LLMs across customer support, safer gambling, compliance, and personalisation. Build agent workflows, RAG pipelines, and retrieval systems with a focus on safety, observability, and regulatory compliance in a high-traffic, real-time environment.

Parkside London, United Kingdom £50,000 – £90,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent

AI Engineer

The AI Engineer will work on cutting-edge financial technology projects, designing and integrating AI/ML solutions into production systems. Responsibilities include collaborating with engineering and product teams, optimizing LLM performance, and contributing to architecture and deployment workflows.

Fraser & Co. Talent Partners Limited St Paul's, City And County Of the City Of London, EC4M 9AD, United Kingdom £45,000 – £65,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent

AI Engineer

An AI Engineer will design, build, and ship full-stack applications using TypeScript and AWS, with a focus on rapid prototyping and AI-assisted development. The role involves creating AI and generative AI features, deploying cloud-native solutions, and collaborating across product, design, and data teams. The engineer will own features end-to-end in an Agile environment, balancing production code with fast iteration on new concepts.

167 Solutions Bristol, United Kingdom £40,000 – £70,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent

AI Engineer

This role involves building and deploying production AI applications using LLMs, designing agentic workflows, and developing scalable backend APIs and cloud-native services. You'll work closely with engineering, product, and business teams to improve automation, decision-making, and user experience through intelligent workflows and AI-powered features.

Yolk Recruitment Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF10 2AF, United Kingdom £75,000 – £82,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent

AI Engineer

This role involves extending and improving a 22-agent agentic AI platform that connects fragmented school data and surfaces actionable insights. Responsibilities include building and refining agent sub-graphs, improving prompt engineering, and contributing to LLM benchmarking. The platform integrates multiple LLMs and uses LangGraph with a supervisor-of-supervisors architecture.

Opus Recruitment Solutions London, United Kingdom £60,000 – £70,000 pa
Remote Permanent Flexible

AI Engineer

Design and implement AI models, from prototyping to deployment, with a focus on generative AI and LLMs. Collaborate across teams to build responsible, scalable solutions using PyTorch, TensorFlow, and MLOps tools. Work on diverse client projects in an agile, ethically driven environment.

Peregrine Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
See all 120 roles →
Top hirers

Companies hiring ai engineers

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Hiring locations

Where this role is hiring

The locations with the most live listings for this role today.

London

Location
49 open

Manchester

Location
3 open

Sheffield

Location
3 open

Cambridge

Location
3 open

Edinburgh

Location
2 open

Bristol

Location
2 open
FAQs

Common questions

  • Python is the most widely used language in AI, but knowledge of C++, Java, and R can also be beneficial.

  • Strong programming skills, a solid understanding of algorithms and data structures, and proficiency in machine learning frameworks are crucial.

  • While a PhD can be beneficial, especially for research roles, many successful AI Engineers have backgrounds in computer science or related fields without a PhD.

  • Salaries for AI Engineers can vary widely based on experience, location, and industry. For more detailed salary information, please refer to the salary section on this page.

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