Senior AI Engineer
Contract Senior AI Engineer/ London Security Clearance: Active SC required The Opportunity We’re looking for a Senior AI Engineer to design, build and run cutting-edge AI-enabled applications that drive real organisational impact. This is a hands-on engineering role focused on applying advanced AI (especially large language models) in live services—rather than developing new algorithms from scratch.
Contract Senior AI Engineer/ London
Security Clearance: Active SC required
The Opportunity
We’re looking for a Senior AI Engineer to design, build and run cutting-edge AI-enabled applications that drive real organisational impact.
This is a hands-on engineering role focused on applying advanced AI (especially large language models) in live services—rather than developing new algorithms from scratch.
You’ll work at the forefront of:
- AI Assistants
- Agentic systems
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Enterprise-grade AI solutions
What You’ll Be Doing
- Designing and delivering AI-powered applications using modern cloud platforms
- Building and operating LLM-based systems, including RAG pipelines and agents
- Developing robust, scalable solutions using software engineering best practices
- Integrating AI capabilities into existing systems and workflows
- Monitoring performance, cost, reliability, and security of AI services in production
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to bring AI ideas to life
- Ensuring AI systems meet ethical, governance, and compliance standards
- Supporting experimentation, proofs of concept, and continuous improvement
🛠️ Tech & Tools
You’ll work with technologies such as:
- Python
- Azure AI / cloud platforms
- Microsoft Copilot Studio
- Azure OpenAI & AI Foundry
- APIs, CI/CD pipelines, version control
What We’re Looking For
Essential:
- Strong experience delivering AI applications into production
- Solid software engineering background (Python, cloud-based systems)
- Hands-on experience with large language models (LLMs)
- Experience working in multidisciplinary delivery teams
- Ability to shape and recommend AI use cases with real business value
Desirable:
- Experience in regulated or public sector environments
- Familiarity with agile or user-centred delivery approaches
What Makes This Role Different
- Focus on real-world AI impact, not academic modelling
- Ownership of solutions from design through to live operation
- Opportunity to work on secure, scalable, and responsible AI systems
- Exposure to emerging AI patterns like agentic workflows and assistants
Key Skills
- Software engineering & system integration
- LLM application design & prompt engineering
- Data ethics, governance, and security awareness
- Stakeholder communication (technical & non-technical)
- Understanding of product delivery and business value
What You’ll Deliver
- Production-ready AI applications
- Scalable and secure solution architectures
- Measured and monitored AI systems
- Reusable components and technical documentation
Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates
About the job
Contract Type: Temporary Interim Management
Specialism: Technology & Digital
Focus: Software Development/Engineering
Industry: IT
Salary: Negotiable
Workplace Type: Hybrid
Experience Level: Mid Management
Location: Cardiff
CONTRACTORJob Reference: 88O8WJ-AAED6646
Date posted: 18 June 2026
Consultant: Tina Sollom
south-west-wales information-technology/software-engineering 2026-06-18 2026-07-18 it London Cardiff GB Robert Walters https://www.robertwalters.co.uk https://www.robertwalters.co.uk/content/dam/robert-walters/global/images/logos/web-logos/square-logo.png true