Senior Software Engineer - Applied AI
Manchester (Hybrid, 3 Days On-Site) | £65,000 - £80,000 + Equity
Gravitas has partnered with a fast-growing Applied AI consultancy in Manchester to hire a Senior Applied AI Software Engineer. This is an exciting opportunity to join a business at the forefront of AI engineering, helping organisations turn ambitious AI ideas into secure, scalable systems that deliver real-world impact.
You'll work on a diverse range of projects spanning innovative startups, enterprise organisations, policing, and secure government environments. The role is ideal for strong software engineers who are passionate about AI and want to be part of the next generation of AI-powered product development.
The Opportunity
This role sits at the intersection of software engineering and applied AI.
You might currently be a Backend Engineer, Platform Engineer, Full Stack Engineer, or Software Developer who has started exploring LLMs, AI-assisted development, agents, RAG architectures, or machine learning applications. What matters most is a strong engineering foundation, curiosity about AI, and a desire to learn.
You'll join client-facing teams designing, building, and deploying production-grade AI solutions. Working alongside experienced AI engineers, you'll help bridge the gap between experimentation and production, ensuring AI systems are reliable, scalable, and maintainable.
What You'll Be Doing
- Designing and building production software around AI capabilities
- Taking AI prototypes and experiments into production environments
- Developing APIs, services, integrations, and data pipelines
- Working with LLMs, embeddings, RAG architectures, agents, and model APIs
- Building evaluation, testing, and monitoring approaches for AI systems
- Deploying solutions using modern cloud and infrastructure tooling
- Collaborating directly with clients to understand requirements and solve complex challenges
- Applying strong software engineering principles within multidisciplinary AI teams
- Leveraging AI-assisted development tools while maintaining engineering best practices
- Contributing to internal R&D, experimentation, and knowledge sharing
What We're Looking For
Essential Skills & Experience
- Strong experience building and operating production software
- Excellent Python development skills
- Experience with software architecture, APIs, testing, debugging, and maintainable code
- Strong understanding of cloud platforms and modern software delivery practices
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps methodologies
- Proven ability to deliver software from development through to production
- Excellent problem-solving skills and a passion for continuous learning
Desirable Experience
- TypeScript, Java, Go, or C# development experience
- Exposure to LLMs, RAG, semantic search, agentic workflows, or AI integrations
- Experience evaluating or monitoring AI systems
- Personal AI projects, open-source contributions, or experimentation with AI technologies
- An active interest in the evolving AI landscape and emerging technologies
Commercial AI experience is beneficial but not essential. Strong engineering fundamentals and a genuine enthusiasm for AI are valued more highly than specific AI credentials.
Why Join?
- Work on cutting-edge Applied AI projects with real-world impact
- Influence how modern AI technologies are implemented in production environments
- Solve complex engineering challenges across multiple sectors
- Dedicated time for R&D, experimentation, and technical learning
- Opportunity to contribute to open-source projects and technical content
- Be part of a growing engineering organisation with significant career progression opportunities
- Gain exposure to both hands-on engineering and client-facing consulting work
Package & Benefits
- Salary: £65,000 - £80,000
- Equity options available
- Hybrid working (3 days per week in Manchester office)
- 25 days holiday, increasing to 30 days with service
- £500 annual learning and development budget
- Healthcare cash plan
- Enhanced family leave policies
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Paid volunteering days
- Regular company socials
- Modern Manchester city centre office with on-site gym
Location & Eligibility
- Manchester-based hybrid role
- Some occasional client-site travel may be required
- Candidates must have 3+ years UK residency due to clearance eligibility requirements
- Successful applicants will be required to undergo government clearance checks
Interested?
If you're a software engineer who wants to work at the forefront of Applied AI and help build intelligent systems that deliver genuine business value, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now or get in touch with Gravitas Recruitment Group for a confidential discussion.
