AI Automation/Application Engineer - Python/ R Shiny

Randstad Technologies Recruitment; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Randstad Technologies Recruitment in the UK is seeking an AI Automation/Application Engineer to join their Business Digital, Data & AI Infrastructure group. The role focuses on turning business needs into working AI tools, dashboards and automation, collaborating with IT, Data Governance, Information Security and Quality & Compliance.

You will be a hands‑on builder who moves fast, tests with real users and delivers maintainable code, with hybrid working from Welwyn Garden City and on‑site 2–3

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.
• At least 3 years building data applications or internal tools for business teams.
• Strong Python for scripting, automation and data processing.
• Solid R and Shiny experience for building and deploying apps.
• Good SQL and REST API integration capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain AI skills and agents for repetitive tasks.
• Develop R Shiny (or Shiny for Python) apps with built‑in AI assistants.
• Automate manual steps across business tools and documents.
• Build data pipelines and integrations from source systems.
• Write tested, version‑controlled code with clear documentation.
• Run user testing, train users and gather feedback.
• Maintain live tools as source systems change.

Skills

Python

R & Shiny

SQL & APIs

Generative AI

Git & Version Control

Translating business needs to tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Data Science or related field

Tools

Snowflake

LangGraph

Docker

AWS

BI tools

Job description

AI Automation/Application Engineer - Python/ R Shiny

My global pharma company is looking for an experienced AI Automation/Application Engineer to join their Business Digital, Data & AI Infrastructure sub-function, which designs, builds and runs the data, digital and AI capabilities. You will work closely with business teams, IT & Architecture, Data Governance, Information Security and Quality & Compliance.

As an AI Automation / Application Engineer you are a hands‑on builder of AI solutions, reporting to the Business Digital, Data & AI Infrastructure Lead. You turn business needs into working tools quickly: AI skills, agentified dashboards, process automations and data pipelines.

Essential Technical Skills

• At least 3 years building data applications, automations or internal tools used by business teams.
• Python: Strong Python for scripting, automation and data processing (pandas, requests, testing).
• R and Shiny: Solid R and experience building and deploying Shiny applications.
• SQL and APIs: Good SQL and experience integrating systems through REST APIs.
• Generative AI: Practical experience building with LLM APIs or AI coding tools, including prompt design and structured outputs.
• Ways of working: Git and version control; comfortable working iteratively with non-technical users and translating their needs into working tools.

You are a pragmatic, hands‑on builder who enjoys turning everyday business problems into working tools.

You move fast, test with real users and care about code that others can maintain.

Desirable Skills

• Snowflake or another cloud data warehouse.
• Building AI agents, agent skills or connectors to business systems.
• Agent frameworks (e.g. LangGraph).
• Business intelligence and data‑preparation tools.
• Deploying applications and scheduled jobs with containers (Docker) in a cloud environment (e.g. AWS).
• Experience in pharmaceutical R&D or another regulated environment (GxP).

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Key duties of the role

• AI skills and agents: Build and maintain AI skills and agents that take on repetitive work - for example reports and presentations that assemble themselves, document checks and request-to-system workflows.
• Agentified dashboards: Develop R Shiny (or Shiny for Python) applications with built‑in AI assistants that explain trends, flag issues and answer questions.
• Process automation: Automate manual, repetitive steps across business tools, documents and spreadsheets.
• Human-in-the-loop automations: Build supervised automations and agents where people review and approve outputs before they are used.
• Data pipelines and integrations: Build scheduled jobs that pull, clean, reconcile and combine data from business systems to create reliable insights.
• Quality and documentation: Write tested, version‑controlled code and clear documentation; produce validation evidence for regulated use cases with the Senior AI Solutions Engineer and Quality & Compliance.
• Adoption and support: Run user testing with business teams, train users, gather feedback, iterate quickly and track usage and time saved.
• Run and improve: Maintain live tools, fix issues and keep them working as source systems change.

The role can be based Hybrid working out of Welwyn Garden City with a view to be on site ⅔ days a week.