VP of Engineering — AI
Hands-On | LLMs, RAG, Multi-Agent Systems | High-Growth Tech | On-Site
A high-growth technology company is searching for an exceptional hands-on VP of Engineering (AI) to lead and build next-generation AI products. This is not a people-manager or advisory role — it’s a deep technical, founder-style position for someone who wants to build, ship, and own AI systems end-to-end.
This opportunity is ideal for a high-calibre engineer who thrives in fast-paced startup environments, enjoys taking full ownership, and wants to shape the next wave of applied AI.
What You’ll Be Building:
You’ll architect, build, and ship real AI products including:
* LLM-driven applications (generation, reasoning, orchestration)
* RAG pipelines, vector search, knowledge systems
* Multi-agent / agentic AI workflows
* High-performance backend systems in Python & Node.js
You’ll be expected to write code daily (~80%), make technical decisions with autonomy, and operate like a founder rather than a traditional VP.
What We’re Looking For
Essential
* Recent startup or scaleup experience — ideally 0→1 or 1→10 environments.
* Top academic background:
* UK: Russell Group / Top 20 with strong academics (First or similar).
* Overseas: Top 100 global university.
* Exceptional Python engineering — deep-level experience required.
* Strong background in Node.js and modern backend architecture.
* Clear, demonstrable AI build examples: what you shipped, how you built it, the stack, the architecture, the outcomes.
* Founder, co-founder, or product-ownership mindset — full accountability, small-team execution.
* Happy working 5 days per week on-site for the immediate future.
Strong Pluses
* Ex-founder or early founding team member.
* Experience working in lean teams, not large enterprise engineering groups.
* Track record of building products quickly and iterating fast.