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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
138
Salary range
£30k – £108k
Hiring companies
61
View 138 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 – £108k

Based on advertised midpoints across the 400 priced listings posted in the last 12 months. Base salary only.

Salary visibility
32% of listings advertise a salary — up from 0% the year before.
By seniority
£k base
Junior
30
77
5 jobs
Mid
45
100
68 jobs
Senior
60
130
67 jobs
Lead
60
149
24 jobs
Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 155 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

Python
74%
RAG
35%
Machine Learning
30%
AWS
30%
Azure
30%
LangChain
27%
CI/CD
26%
Prompt Engineering
25%
Generative AI
21%
LLMs
21%
SQL
20%
LLM
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

138 live roles

See all 138 roles →

Senior AI Engineer

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior AI Engineer (Manager) to join our IT (EA & Technology Platforms) team, based in A&O Shearman's Belfast or London office.What you will doReporting to the AI Platform Owner, this role will be...

A&O Shearman Lurgan, County Armagh, United Kingdom

Senior AI Engineer

This role involves leading the technical strategy and implementation of AI and machine learning solutions across the firm, from model development to deployment and integration. The Senior AI Engineer will manage a team of IT professionals, collaborate with enterprise architecture and business stakeholders, and ensure scalable, best-practice-aligned AI systems. Key responsibilities include mentoring team members, overseeing third-party providers, and driving continuous improvement in AI capabilities.

A&O Shearman Larne, County Antrim, United Kingdom

Lead Site Reliability Engineer (AI/ML)

Lead the end-to-end deployment and operationalization of AI/ML models, ensuring scalability, reliability, and alignment with business objectives. Establish monitoring frameworks to detect performance issues and data drift, and drive resolution. Champion MLOps practices, automation, and CI/CD workflows to streamline model lifecycle management from experimentation to production.

Mastercard Dublin, City Of Dublin, Ireland

Lead Site Reliability Engineer (AI/ML)

Lead the end-to-end deployment and operationalization of AI/ML models, ensuring scalability, reliability, and alignment with business objectives. Establish monitoring frameworks, drive MLOps best practices, and lead incident response for AI systems. Collaborate across engineering, product, and compliance teams to ensure ethical, secure, and high-performing AI solutions in production.

Mastercard Rathcoole, South Dublin, Ireland

Senior AI Product Engineer

This role involves building and scaling an AI-powered behavioural intelligence platform from the ground up, focusing on LLM-enabled products and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). The engineer will own the AI application layer, implement production-grade systems with robust monitoring and cost optimisation, and help establish engineering best practices in a startup environment. Work spans full-stack development with a strong backend focus and close collaboration with product leadership.

Harnham - Data and Analytics Recruitment London, United Kingdom £120,000 – £140,000 pa

Senior AI Software Engineer - eFinancialCareers

Design and build AI-powered tools, intelligent assistants, and agent-based systems integrated with trading and research workflows in a high-performance quantitative environment. Work across the full development lifecycle to deploy production-grade AI applications and evaluate emerging technologies. Collaborate closely with researchers, developers, and trading teams to deliver scalable AI solutions that drive innovation.

eFinancialCareers London, United Kingdom

Junior IT & AI Support Engineer

This role involves providing first-line IT support while gaining hands-on experience with AI implementation, digital transformation, and high-performance computing environments. The engineer will troubleshoot systems, support Microsoft 365 and device management, and contribute to AI research and workflow automation projects. Working closely with the Head of IT, the role offers mentorship and exposure to enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies in a sustainable engineering context.

Chiltern Park Recruitment Bicester, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom £30,000 – £35,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent

Senior Security Researcher - (AI & Detection Engineering)

This role involves researching emerging cyber threats and attacker techniques, with a focus on leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance threat detection and security automation. The candidate will develop prototypes and tools in Python, explore Agentic AI workflows for security applications, and collaborate with engineering teams to integrate research into product capabilities. It's a research-driven position at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, aimed at shaping next-generation security solutions.

Salt Search London, United Kingdom £70,000 – £90,000 pa
See all 138 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
8 open

Cambridge

Location
3 open

Edinburgh

Location
2 open

Bristol

Location
2 open

Preston

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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