AI/Machine Learning Engineer (3 month contract)

AND Digital; Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm is seeking a Contract AI/ML Engineer based in Manchester. This role involves the development of a Proof of Concept for an AI-powered research assistant focusing on model evaluation and performance optimisation. The ideal candidate will have AI/ML experience, specifically with LLM applications, and be skilled in prompt engineering and RAG architectures. This position offers an opportunity to work independently in a fast-paced environment, contributing to innovative machine learning solutions.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in AI/ML engineering, ideally with LLM-based applications.
• Strong hands-on experience with RAG architectures and prompt engineering.
• Experience evaluating and benchmarking model performance.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement model evaluation frameworks.
• Configure and optimise Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipelines.
• Develop and refine prompts to improve usability.

Skills

AI/ML engineering

RAG architectures

Prompt engineering

Performance optimisation

Azure AI services

Independent work

Tools

Azure AI Foundry

Large Language Models

Python

Job description

We are recruiting for a Contract AI/ML Engineer to join us ASAP for a duration of three months. Ideally based in a commutable distance to Manchester.

As a Machine Learning Engineer in a club of over 90 people, you will spend the majority of your time helping deliver client machine learning opportunities and working with seniors and leads to bring about AND's machine learning vision.

We are seeking an experienced AI/ML Engineer to support the rapid development of a Proof of Concept (POC) for an AI-powered research assistant. The goal is to build a trusted solution that is robust, scalable, and ready for further production development.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement model evaluation frameworks to assess performance and reliability
• Configure and optimise Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines
• Develop and refine prompts to improve accuracy, consistency, and usability
• Conduct performance tuning across models and pipelines (latency, cost, quality)
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate research and product needs into technical solutions
• Ensure outputs meet trust, safety, and quality expectations

Requirements

• Proven experience in AI/ML engineering, ideally with LLM-based applications
• Strong hands‑on experience with RAG architectures and prompt engineering
• Experience evaluating and benchmarking model performance
• Familiarity with performance optimisation techniques for ML systems
• Experience working with Azure AI services (preferably Azure AI Foundry)
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, experimental environment

Tech Stack

• Azure AI Foundry
• Large Language Models (LLMs)
• RAG pipelines and vector databases
• Python and relevant ML frameworks

Equal Opportunities Statement

At AND Digital we embrace diversity and are committed to equal opportunities. We are actively recruiting for a diverse and inclusive workforce so want to ensure we do everything we can to support your application. We want you to feel safe and empowered to let us know if you require any adjustments to be made to your application or interview process so please speak to our recruitment team.