AI Engineer - SC/DV Cleared

Searchability; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 95,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Pension match up to 6%

Fully expensed UK client travel

Defence/secure sector exposure

Job summary

Searchability is recruiting for an on-site AI Engineering role in Newcastle. The candidate will work within a growing engineering team tackling Defence and secure sector AI problems, from early research and POCs to production systems.

Requirements include strong AI/ML fundamentals, commercial experience with AI/LLMs, solid Python and software engineering skills, and excellent client-facing consultancy abilities. A defence sector background is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Strong AI/ML fundamentals and understanding of underlying algorithms.
• Commercial experience across AI/ML, LLMs or related technologies.
• Strong Python and software engineering skills.
• Excellent communication and customer consultancy experience.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and solving complex technical problems.
• Defence/Secure Sector experience advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy AI/ML solutions from POC to production.
• Engage in technical consultancy across projects and client engagements.
• Contribute to Python-driven software engineering practices on AI projects.
• Collaborate with defence and secure sector teams to meet requirements.

Skills

AI/ML fundamentals

Python

Software engineering

Communication skills

Ambiguity tolerance

Education

Degree in Computer Science/Math/ML

Job description

• Newcastle – on-site role, expensed wider travel required
• Up to £105,000 DoE + package
• Active SC or DV Clearance required
• 2-stage virtual interview process
• Experience required in AI/ML, LLMs, Python, Customer Consultancy

We’re supporting a high-performing technical consultancy delivering AI, data and software solutions across Defence and the secure sector.

You’ll join a growing engineering team working on technically challenging, real-world Defence problems, from early-stage research and POCs through to fully engineered AI solutions.

A hands-on AI Engineering position covering areas including:

• AI/ML, LLMs & RAG, agentic AI and multi-modal AI
• AI safety, explainability and robustness in contested environments
• Edge/low-power AI and novel ML approaches
• Building and deploying solutions from POC through to production
• Python development and strong software engineering practices
• Technical consultancy across projects and client engagements

What We’re Looking For:

• Strong AI/ML fundamentals and understanding of underlying algorithms
• Commercial experience across AI/ML, LLMs or related technologies
• Strong Python and software engineering skills
• Excellent communication and customer consultancy experience
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and solving complex technical problems
• Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Machine Learning or related discipline
• Defence/Secure Sector experience advantageous

What's on Offer:

• Up to £105k + discretionary bonus
• Work on UK Defence & National Security programmes
• Exposure across research, POCs and production AI
• Full AI engineering stack and varied technologies
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Up to 6% matched pension
• Private healthcare
• Fully expensed UK client travel