Lead Applied AI Engineer

Lead Applied AI EngineerManchester (Hybrid - 3 days per week)£80,000 - £100,000 + Equity + BenefitsGravitas is proud to be partnering with a high-growth AI and technology consultancy as they continue to expand their industry-leading Applied AI and MLOps practice.This is an opportunity to join a business at the forefront of AI innovation, helping organisations across multiple sectors transform ambitious AI concepts into secure, scalable, production-grade solutions. From venture-backed startups to enterprise organisations and public sector clients, you'll work on projects that deliver real-world impact while staying close to the latest advancements in AI, machine learning and cloud technologies.We're looking for an experienced technical leader who enjoys combining hands-on engineering with customer engagement, project ownership and team leadership.The OpportunityAs a Lead Applied AI Engineer, you'll take ownership of the technical delivery of client projects while remaining deeply involved in the engineering process. You'll lead multidisciplinary teams through the entire delivery lifecycle, from discovery and prototyping to deployment and optimisation.This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a consulting environment, enjoys solving complex customer challenges, and is passionate about taking AI systems from experimentation to production.You'll have the opportunity to:Lead engineering squads delivering cutting-edge AI solutionsOwn technical delivery across client engagementsDesign and build production-grade AI and machine learning systemsWork directly with customers to define solutions and shape strategyMentor and develop engineers within delivery teamsContribute to pre-sales activities, proposals and solution designInfluence technical direction and engineering best practice across the organisationProjects typically include:LLM-powered applicationsRetrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) systemsAI agents and autonomous workflowsModel serving and inference platformsEvaluation and observability frameworksData engineering pipelinesCloud-native AI infrastructureMLOps platforms and deployment automationYou'll be expected to make pragmatic technical decisions that balance innovation, delivery speed, security, maintainability and commercial objectives.Key ResponsibilitiesLead the successful delivery of Applied AI and Machine Learning projectsRemain hands-on with software development while providing technical leadershipGuide architecture, engineering standards and technical decision-makingWork closely with clients to understand business needs and define solutionsLead sprint planning, technical reviews and agile delivery processesMentor engineers and support their professional developmentManage technical risks and ensure high-quality project outcomesContribute to hiring, interviewing and team growthSupport business development through technical proposals and solution designStay ahead of emerging trends across AI, ML, MLOps and cloud technologiesWhat We're Looking ForEssential ExperienceStrong experience developing and deploying production-grade Python applicationsExperience building and delivering machine learning or generative AI solutionsCommercial experience with technologies such as: LLMs, RAG architectures, Embeddings, Prompt engineering, Model evaluation, AI agents, ML workflows and model servingExperience designing cloud-native systems on AWS, Azure or Google CloudStrong DevOps and Infrastructure-as-Code knowledgeProven experience leading technical delivery across teams, projects or workstreamsExperience mentoring or managing engineersAgile software delivery experienceKnowledge of: Git, Linux/Unix, Docker, Open-source AI, ML and MLOps toolingExcellent stakeholder and client-facing communication skillsApplications are welcomed from individuals with backgrounds in:Software EngineeringMachine Learning EngineeringMLOps EngineeringData SciencePlatform EngineeringDevOps EngineeringYou don't need to already hold an "Applied AI" title. Strong engineering foundations, leadership experience and a passion for AI innovation are the most important factors.What's On OfferSalary of £80,000 - £100,000 depending on experienceEquity options schemeHybrid working model (Manchester)25 days holiday, increasing with service up to 30 daysEnhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leaveHealthcare cash plan£500 annual learning and development budgetAI assistant subscription of your choiceCycle to Work schemeVolunteer and charity daysRegular company socials and eventsStructured career progression within a rapidly growing businessLocation & EligibilityThis is a hybrid role based in Manchester, with employees expected onsite three days per week (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday).Occasional travel to customer sites throughout the UK may be required depending on project needs.Due to the nature of some client engagements, successful candidates will need to be eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC level). As a result, applicants must typically have lived in the UK continuously for at least five years.Interested in shaping the future of Applied AI while leading the delivery of genuinely impactful solutions? Apply now or reach out to Gravitas for a confidential conversation.