Deployed AI Engineer (up to £160k)

Dex; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Dex partners with Defence AI to deploy real-time intelligence infrastructure onto frontline assets. The role of Deployed AI Engineer turns state-of-the-art software into deployed operational reality, interfacing with avionics teams and building adapters for edge-to-cloud integration.

On-site work across the UK and EU with monthly travel is expected. You will own deployment outcomes end-to-end, collaborate with core product and ML teams to formalize edge-case requirements, and demonstrate system

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent systems-level grounding.
• Strong software engineering foundation in C++, Java, Rust, or similar systems languages, paired with scripting fluency in Python or Bash.
• Deep practical command of Linux internals, networking stacks, and database systems, with a proven instinct to debug and adapt legacy environments rather than demanding a rewrite.
• Demonstrated ability to operate directly in high-stakes, customer-facing technical environments, asking sharp diagnostic questions and working side-by-side with external engineering teams.
• Willingness to travel across the UK and EU on a monthly cadence, and eligibility to obtain UK or European security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Integrate modern AI capabilities directly into complex real-world platforms, collaborating with customer avionics engineers to interface with aircraft mission-control systems and operational hardware.
• Trace, reverse-engineer, and decode unfamiliar network protocols, legacy APIs, and bespoke databases to build resilient adapters that connect edge hardware to cloud infrastructure.
• Work alongside core product and machine learning teams to turn chaotic edge-environment constraints into formalized requirements, edge cases, and production updates.
• Coordinate and execute live technical demonstrations and trials across simulated and physical deployments, proving system reliability under operational stress.
• Own the integration lifecycle on the ground across customer sites in the UK and EU, traveling on a monthly cadence to guarantee deployment readiness.

Skills

Edge deployment

C++/Java/Rust

Python scripting

Linux & networking

Customer-facing engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering

Job description

This role is with one of Dex's trusted partner companies. We work closely with their teams to truly understand their culture, goals, and what they're looking for, so we can match you with the right opportunity and give you context about the role before you commit to a process.

Dex is an AI recruiter agent that helps you run your job search. Tell Dex your stack, seniority, and what you want to build. We will manage your applications and surface other opportunities that are a fit.

The role

One of Europe's best-funded AI companies is building real-time intelligence infrastructure for national defence. Rather than developing isolated research models or enterprise SaaS wrappers, their platform deploys directly onto frontline operational assets—integrating live with mission-critical aircraft, sensors, and sovereign hardware. Backed by multi-billion-dollar capital from premier global VCs, their technical team brings together senior systems and AI talent from Tier-1 tech environments to solve genuinely consequential problems.

As a Deployed AI Engineer, you are the tip of the spear turning state-of-the-art software into deployed operational reality. This is not an academic research role, and it is not a clean, greenfield backend seat where you control the whole stack. You will interface with customer avionics teams, dissect unfamiliar databases and proprietary network protocols inside aircraft mission systems, and build the adapters that bring modern AI to legacy edge environments. You own deployment outcomes end-to-end, often on-site where the software actually runs.

The work

• Integrate modern AI capabilities directly into complex real-world platforms, collaborating with customer avionics engineers to interface with aircraft mission-control systems and operational hardware.
• Trace, reverse-engineer, and decode unfamiliar network protocols, legacy APIs, and bespoke databases to build resilient adapters that connect edge hardware to cloud infrastructure.
• Work alongside core product and machine learning teams to turn chaotic edge-environment constraints into formalized requirements, edge cases, and production updates.
• Coordinate and execute live technical demonstrations and trials across simulated and physical deployments, proving system reliability under operational stress.
• Own the integration lifecycle on the ground across customer sites in the UK and EU, traveling on a monthly cadence to guarantee deployment readiness.

What You Bring

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent systems-level grounding.
• Strong software engineering foundation in C++, Java, Rust, or similar systems languages, paired with scripting fluency in Python or Bash.
• Deep practical command of Linux internals, networking stacks, and database systems, with a proven instinct to debug and adapt legacy environments rather than demanding a rewrite.
• Demonstrated ability to operate directly in high-stakes, customer-facing technical environments, asking sharp diagnostic questions and working side-by-side with external engineering teams.
• Willingness to travel across the UK and EU on a monthly cadence, and eligibility to obtain UK or European security clearance.

Why apply through Dex

Defence AI is one of the most opaque and rapidly closing hiring markets in Europe, where high-ownership deployed seats are difficult to evaluate from the outside. Applying through Dex bypasses cold applications and connects you directly with the team leading the integration effort. We give you a candid briefing on the travel schedule, hardware stack, and clearance parameters before you enter the process.

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