Artificial Intelligence Engineer

AI Engineer (Founding Contractor) Rate: £450–£600 per day (negotiable based on experience) Duration: 6-12 month initial contract Location: 1 day a week in London, Remote (UK) IR35 Status: Outside IR35 Join us on our mission We are a stealth-mode AI startup backed by prominent UK angels, building a transformative AI-powered platform for the Financial Trading sector. We're offering a rare opportunity for a talented and pragmatic AI Engineer to join our founding team on a contract basis. This is a chance to have a genuine impact from day one, receive meaningful equity, and help shape the future of our product. We're looking for an autonomous and proactive engineer who thrives in a fast-paced environment. This role is for a builder, not just a consultant, who wants to roll up their sleeves and help us turn our vision into a market-leading product. What you will do • Design, build, and deploy the core AI/ML systems that power our platform. • Work hands-on with real-world data, building and fine-tuning models to deliver high-impact features. • Collaborate closely with the founders to translate complex business problems into technical AI solutions. • Develop robust and scalable MLOps pipelines and infrastructure. • Take full ownership of your work, from initial concept and prototyping to production deployment. • Stay on top of the latest AI research and autonomously explore new techniques and approaches. What we are looking for • Experience: A proven track record as an AI or ML Engineer, with a history of delivering production-ready features. Experience in a startup or having worked on significant personal AI projects is a strong plus. • Expertise: • Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow. • Experience with building or fine-tuning language models (LLMs) and working with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines. • Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and containerisation (e.g., Docker). • Attributes: We need someone who is resourceful, adaptable, and a fast learner. As a contractor on the founding team, you will be highly self-motivated and eager to take on a high level of ownership. What we offer • Rapid Impact: Your work will directly influence our product's trajectory and success, with a clear line of sight to the results of your efforts. • Founding Team Status: The chance to shape the company culture and have a voice in key technical and product decisions. • Remote Flexibility: The role is fully remote for UK-based contractors, with optional co-working meetups. • Autonomy: We will give you the freedom to build and innovate without the red tape of a large corporation. How to apply If you are an ambitious AI Engineer ready to take the next step in your career and build something great, we want to hear from you. Submit your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and explaining your passion for working at an early-stage startup.