Software Engineer II (IC3)

Research Engineer / Software Engineer - AI/ML Systems Location: London, Kings Cross Working Pattern: Hybrid onsite, 3 days per week Contract Length: 6 months, with possible extension Start Date: ASAP Working Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, 40 hours per week Pay Rate: £36 PAYE per hour

Role Overview The team is seeking a Research Engineer to support Fundamental AI Research work in London. The role will focus on building agents for machine learning and research, with an emphasis on LLM agents, Python engineering, PyTorch, and large-scale AI experimentation. The successful candidate will work with research engineers, research scientists, and other contingent workers on cutting-edge AI research projects. This is a high-impact, fast-paced role suited to someone who combines strong engineering execution with a scientific mindset.

Responsibilities

Carry out research engineering work to advance machine learning systems.

Design tools, infrastructure, and methods for large language models and AI agents.

Build code deliverables in partnership with engineering and research teams.

Run complex experiments involving large AI models and datasets.

Collaborate with researchers and cross-functional partners.

Communicate research plans, progress, and results clearly.

Gather requirements and contribute to effective feature roadmaps.

Support research that may contribute to future product development.

Required Skills and Experience

2+ years of hands-on experience in machine learning, AI, recommendation systems, pattern recognition, data mining, or related areas.

Strong Python programming skills.

Hands-on experience with PyTorch or similar machine learning frameworks.

Experience developing machine learning models at scale.

Experience querying or working with LLMs, LLM agents, or LLM post-training workflows.

Ability to write high-quality code and execute complex experiments.

Strong scientific mindset: organised, diligent, curious, and analytical.

Strong engineering mindset: fast-moving, delivery-focused, and comfortable with high input/output coding work.

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, a relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Skills

Direct experience in generative AI or LLM research.

Experience with LLM agents, pre-training, post-training, or agent evaluation.

Research-focused Master’s or PhD in machine learning or a related area.

Background in maths, physics, machine learning, or applied science.

Experience from high-calibre research, startup, internship, or major technology environments.

Candidate Profile The ideal candidate will be motivated, hands-on, and passionate about frontier AI research. They should be comfortable working in a high-pressure environment, able to handle ambiguity, and ready to contribute quickly within a collaborative team. Candidate Value Proposition This is an opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI research in London with a team operating at the forefront of machine learning systems and LLM agent development. The role offers exposure to highly advanced research work, strong technical peers, and projects with significant scientific and real-world impact.