Title: Principal Software Engineer (AI Engineer with Customer-Facing)
Location: Remote
Salary: £140,000 - £170,000
Tech: Python, JavaScript, Azure, AWS, AI
Industry: AI Consultancy
This is a senior-level, hands-on technical role for someone who can lead AI solution design, build advanced prototypes, and advise high-level customer stakeholders with credibility and confidence.
You’ll work directly with CTOs, chief architects, and engineering leaders to uncover real challenges, design smart solutions, and drive full-cycle AI delivery—from first sketch to deployed system.
You're not just a leader—you’re a builder. You love writing software, prototyping ideas, and using AI tools across every part of the development process.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Technical Leadership
* Act as the go-to AI technical expert in customer environments.
* Drive discovery with senior technical stakeholders to identify high-impact AI opportunities.
* Architect full-stack AI systems using LLMs, RAG pipelines, and robust evaluation frameworks.
* Make informed decisions on model choice, fine-tuning, and deployment strategies.
AI System Development
* Build production-grade prototypes with deep awareness of AI system limitations.
* Apply deep knowledge of transformer architectures to real-world use cases.
* Implement thoughtful evaluation systems to measure performance, bias, and business value.
* Design with scalability and maintainability in mind from the very beginning.
Customer AI Enablement
* Facilitate workshops to align AI strategy and implementation plans.
* Lead assessments of AI readiness and architecture design.
* Handle complex objections with calm, confident technical insight.
* Build lasting partnerships that position the consultancy as the trusted AI integrator.
Internal Capability Building
* Mentor engineers and upskill teams across the organisation.
* Contribute to reusable components, design patterns, and shared best practices.
* Lead internal discussions on the latest GenAI tools and trends.
* Define quality benchmarks for how we design, implement, and evaluate AI systems.
What We’re Looking For
GenAI Mastery
* Deep experience with transformer-based models and GenAI pipelines.
* Strong understanding of prompt engineering, model finetuning, and toolchain integration.
* Hands-on experience with top GenAI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Cursor).
* Ability to build AI systems that are measurable, explainable, and responsibly deployed.
* Bonus: Comfort combining classical ML techniques (clustering, classification, embeddings) with GenAI.
Engineering Leadership
* 8+ years building scalable, maintainable, enterprise-grade software.
* Comfortable leading architecture decisions and full-stack implementation.
* Proven track record of delivering systems that make it to production—and work at scale.
* Ability to guide and mentor engineering teams in fast-moving environments.
Customer-Facing Expertise
* Experience working directly with senior stakeholders, including C-level decision-makers.
* Skilled at navigating complex client environments and building long-term technical trust.
* Comfortable leading workshops, aligning priorities, and facilitating technical strategy.
* Known for being calm, clear, and credible in challenging or high-pressure settings.