Founding Forward Deployed Engineer – Applied AI

Stott and May; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Stott and May is partnering with an early-stage applied AI start-up to hire a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer. You will own client engagements and shape how the technical function develops as the business grows.

Based in Cambridge with London and hybrid options, you'll design, build and deploy production-grade software, working directly with founders on delivery and technical direction while guiding projects from discovery to production adoption.

Qualifications

• Around 4+ years of hands-on software engineering experience.
• Strong coding and engineering fundamentals.
• Ability to design, build and debug software independently.
• Understanding of how AI can be implemented within production systems.
• Previous customer-facing experience.
• Experience owning projects from ambiguous requirements through to production.
• Confident communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• High-ownership mindset in an early-stage environment.

Responsibilities

• Owning technical delivery across customer engagements
• Working directly with clients to understand operational problems
• Designing, building and deploying production-grade software
• Building applications, integrations, automation and AI-enabled tools
• Taking projects from discovery through to implementation and adoption
• Making pragmatic technical decisions around when to use AI and when traditional software is the better solution
• Working closely with the founders on customer delivery and technical direction

Skills

Software engineering

System design

Client facing

Project ownership

AI integration

Production deployment

Communication skills

Python

Git

Tools

Python

Git

Cloud platforms

Job description

Cambridge / London / Hybrid

Up to £75,000 + Bonus + Equity

I’m working with an early-stage applied AI start-up that helps organisations identify where AI can create real operational value, then builds and deploys the technology directly into their workflows.

They’ve recently signed several new customers across financial services, private equity and manufacturing and are now making their first senior technical hire.

This is a ground-floor opportunity to join as the Founding Forward Deployed Engineer, working directly with the founders, owning client engagements and helping shape how the technical function develops as the business grows.

What you’ll be doing

• Owning technical delivery across customer engagements
• Working directly with clients to understand operational problems
• Designing, building and deploying production-grade software
• Building applications, integrations, automation and AI-enabled tools
• Taking projects from discovery through to implementation and adoption
• Making pragmatic technical decisions around when to use AI and when traditional software is the better solution
• Working closely with the founders on customer delivery and technical direction

What they’re looking for

They need someone who is first and foremost a strong software engineer.

You’ll ideally have:

• Around 4+ years of hands-on software engineering experience
• Strong coding and engineering fundamentals
• The ability to design, build and debug software independently without relying on AI-generated code
• A strong understanding of how AI can be implemented within production systems
• Previous customer-facing experience
• Experience owning projects from ambiguous requirements through to production
• Confidence communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A high-ownership mindset and comfort working in an early-stage environment

This isn’t a role for someone who relies heavily on prompting or AI-assisted development. They want an engineer who is technically strong first, and understands how to use AI as part of a wider engineering solution.

You’ll be joining at a point where the company is growing, winning new customers and needs someone senior enough to take real ownership.

As the first senior technical hire, you’ll have significant influence over technical delivery, engineering standards and how the FDE function develops as the team scales.

Location

Cambridge-based candidates are preferred, although they’re also open to candidates based in London, Reading and surrounding areas.

Customers are located across London and the North of England, so you’ll need to be comfortable travelling to client sites when required.