Forward-Deploy Principal Engineer: Real-World AI

CreateFuture; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CreateFuture UK is seeking a Principal Engineer for Forward Deployed work, collaborating directly with client teams to turn emerging technology into production outcomes. You’ll combine deep engineering with consulting, transferring knowledge and guiding teams toward self-sufficiency while maintaining high delivery quality, especially around AI.

Location is UK-based with Edinburgh or London options; expects a pragmatic, hands-on leader who thrives in ambiguity and can shape complex initiatives.

Qualifications

• Broad engineering capability across the full stack with deep expertise in at least one area.
• Experience building production systems across backend, cloud, data, web or AI.
• Strong awareness of modern AI capabilities and practical outcomes.
• Hands-on approach; willing to build, review and dive into detail.
• Excellent communication and consulting skills with engineers and senior stakeholders.
• Pragmatic, outcome-focused mindset; solve the right problem.
• Able to operate in ambiguity, learn quickly and build trust with unfamiliar teams.
• Interest in transferring knowledge and improving team capability.
• Experience working in regulated environments is valuable.

Responsibilities

• Understand outcomes with client teams and translate them into deliverables.
• Identify where technology can add leverage and turn ideas into working solutions.
• Build and demonstrate capabilities, often ahead of wider adoption.
• Transfer knowledge to teams so they can continue independently.
• Feed reusable patterns and platform improvements back to the wider engineering team.
• Act as a trusted technical partner, challenging assumptions and guiding decisions.
• Help teams use AI and emerging tech without compromising engineering quality.

Skills

Full stack engineering

Hands-on

Communication skills

Knowledge transfer

Ambiguity handling

AI capabilities

Regulated environments

Job description

CreateFuture UK is seeking a Principal Engineer for Forward Deployed work, collaborating directly with client teams to turn emerging technology into production outcomes. You’ll combine deep engineering with consulting, transferring knowledge and guiding teams toward self-sufficiency while maintaining high delivery quality, especially around AI.

Location is UK-based with Edinburgh or London options; expects a pragmatic, hands-on leader who thrives in ambiguity and can shape complex initiatives.