MLOps & AI Engineer Lead

TN United Kingdom; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative data consultancy is seeking a passionate MLOps & AI Engineer Lead to shape the future of AI solutions. This role involves designing and managing scalable infrastructure, optimizing AI models, and collaborating with clients to deliver impactful solutions. You'll lead cross-functional teams, mentor others, and contribute to thought leadership in the industry. Join a forward-thinking firm committed to unlocking the true value of data and driving growth through cutting-edge AI technologies. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and are eager to make a difference, this could be your dream role.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in managing AI/ML solutions in production.
• Hands-on experience with MLOps tools and cloud services.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage infrastructure for AI/ML workloads.
• Collaborate to deliver scalable AI solutions.

Skills

AI/ML Solutions Deployment

MLOps Tools (MLflow, DVC, Kubeflow)

Azure and Databricks Services

Observability Tools (Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog)

Leadership and Mentoring

Communication Skills

Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP)

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

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We are Dufrain, a pure-play data consultancy specialising in helping businesses unlock the true value of their data by providing market-leading data solutions and services.

At Dufrain we pride ourselves on a creative and innovative approach, focusing on delivering exceptional outcomes for clients by leveraging data to drive growth and efficiency.

Our mission is to inspire, shape and deliver the data capabilities of tomorrow.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

We’re looking for a MLOps & AI Engineer Lead - a technically outstanding individual who thrives on collaboration and delivering meaningful impact. You’ll be passionate about building and scaling intelligent AI solutions, working closely with clients, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to bring them to life.

This role is pivotal in shaping how we design, deploy, and scale AI-driven systems. You’ll take ownership across the entire model lifecycle — from infrastructure and pipeline development to deployment, optimisation, and monitoring. You'll also play a key role in operationalising generative AI solutions, including large language models (LLMs), ensuring they are secure, scalable, and cost-effective.

Role Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage scalable and secure infrastructure to support AI/ML workloads
• Build and maintain robust pipelines for model training, validation, deployment, and monitoring
• Act as a trusted technical advisor, understanding client challenges and designing tailored MLOps solutions
• Collaborate with internal teams and clients to translate business needs into practical, scalable AI solutions
• Optimise the performance and reliability of models running in production environments
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships through effective communication and delivery excellence
• Lead technical discovery sessions to identify requirements and key pain points
• Mentor and guide cross-functional teams of ML engineers, data scientists, and consultants, fostering innovation and best practices
• Contribute to the company’s thought leadership by participating in industry events and producing content on emerging trends
• Stay ahead of developments in MLOps, DevOps, and AI infrastructure, bringing fresh insights into our work
• Identify skills gaps and support continuous learning through targeted training and development initiatives

Skills and experience required

• Deep technical expertise in deploying, monitoring, and managing AI/ML solutions in production environments
• Excellent communicator, comfortable working directly with clients and multidisciplinary teams
• Hands-on experience with MLOps tools such as MLflow, DVC, Kubeflow, Docker/Kubernetes, and GitOps practices
• Strong working knowledge of Azure and Databricks services
• Proficient with observability and monitoring tools (e.g. Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog)
• Curious and commercially minded — focused on delivering scalable, valuable solutions
• Familiarity with additional cloud platforms such as AWS or GCP is a plus
• Demonstrated leadership skills, with experience mentoring others and leading delivery efforts

If you’re passionate about data, and you’re looking to join a leading data and analytics company based in the UK, you could find your dream role at Dufrain.

Please submit your CV highlighting your relevant experience and certifications. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and not require sponsorship now or in the future. Visa sponsorship is not available.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company.. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other status protected by law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these factors. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

"Kindly note that we are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role."