AI Engineer

Salary: £31,000 - 71,000 per year

Requirements:

• Strong proficiency in Python and REST API development
• Experience building and shipping more than one type of AI system
• Experience selecting the right AI pattern for the problem, such as agent, RAG, pipeline, classifier, or hybrid
• Experience with AI agent architecture and multi-step workflow orchestration
• Experience designing and implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions
• Experience with document processing and knowledge extraction systems
• Experience working with foundation models via API, such as Azure OpenAI or OpenAI
• Experience with prompt engineering for structured, grounded, and reliable outputs
• Experience with context management, chunking strategies, and retrieval optimisation
• Experience with hallucination mitigation and source attribution by design
• Experience with MCP (Model Context Protocol) server development and tool routing
• Experience building APIs and microservices to expose AI capabilities
• Experience integrating AI systems with enterprise tools and data sources
• Experience with secure API integration, including OAuth, API keys, and credential management
• Experience with software engineering best practices, testing, versioning, and documentation
• Understanding of enterprise data flows and system architecture
• Statistical reasoning sufficient to validate and interpret AI outputs
• Experience evaluating AI system performance and identifying failure modes
• Understanding of AI risk, bias, and transparency obligations
• Familiarity with AI governance frameworks, such as the EU AI Act
• Ability to document system behaviour, inputs, outputs, and limitations clearly
• Ability to translate AI capabilities into clear business outcomes for non-technical stakeholders
• Cross-functional collaboration experience with data scientists, MLOps, and product teams
• Ability to push back on AI for its own sake and advocate for the right solution
• Ability to champion best practices and support AI adoption across the organisation
• Security clearance or willingness to apply is required for this role

Responsibilities:

• Design and build the appropriate AI solution for each initiative, whether that is an agent, a RAG pipeline, a document processing system, or something else
• Integrate foundation models via API into business applications and workflows
• Develop MCP servers and tool integrations where agent-based approaches are appropriate
• Build RAG pipelines that surface accurate, attributed answers from internal knowledge and data sources
• Transform AI capabilities into APIs and microservices that connect with existing enterprise platforms
• Build prompt engineering frameworks that produce structured, reliable, and auditable outputs
• Implement context management, tool routing, and retrieval patterns that control what the model sees and when
• Collaborate with Data Scientists to ensure clean, trusted data enters every AI system
• Test and validate AI system behaviour across real use cases and iterate based on production feedback
• Ensure all AI outputs are transparent, traceable, and compliant with governance requirements
• Document system behaviour, data flows, tool calls, and decision logic thoroughly
• Work with product and business teams to embed AI into existing workflows
• Support AI adoption and share best practices across SCC

Technologies:

• AI
• API
• Azure
• Support
• MCP
• MLOps
• OAuth
• Python
• RAG
• REST
• Security
• microservices
• Cloud
• Embedded
• LESS

More:

We are actively building diverse teams and welcome applications from everyone. We are looking for an AI Engineer to join our hybrid team in Birmingham on a permanent basis, working 9.00 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday. We offer a competitive base salary, large company benefits, a broad flexible benefits scheme, and 2 paid-for volunteering days each year. Our interview process has three stages. We are an inclusive workplace with hybrid working, core hours in line with role requirements, career development and lifelong learning opportunities, and the chance to join Europes largest privately-owned IT company. Based out of our new 7m HQ office in Birmingham, we help clients succeed through IT transformation and exceptional customer experiences. We are passionate about IT, committed to simplifying the complex, and dedicated to equal opportunities and a proactive, inclusive approach to diversity and inclusion.

last updated 35 week of 2026