Junior AI Engineer

Reply Ltd; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Reply Ltd in Manchester is seeking an early-career software engineer to build bespoke AI agents, integrations, and the data foundations that make them reliable, across backend, API and frontend layers.

You will work with Python and JavaScript/TypeScript, explore AI/ML concepts, apply modern practices with Git, Docker and CI/CD, and collaborate with colleagues and clients to explain what you’ve built and why.

Qualifications

• Solid grounding in software engineering with clean, working code.
• Comfortable across the stack with Python and JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Exposure to AI/ML concepts or tools through coursework, projects, or self-learning.
• Self-starter who learns quickly and communicates clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Build bespoke AI agents, integrations, and data foundations for reliable production use.
• Develop across the full stack: backend logic, APIs, frontend interfaces, and cloud infra.
• Prototype and experiment with AI tools and share learnings with the team and clients.

Skills

Python

JavaScript/TypeScript

APIs

Docker

Git

Cloud

Tools

Azure OpenAI

Azure Machine Learning

REST APIs

Job description

Responsibilities

This is a Manchester based role. Build bespoke AI agents, integrations, and the data foundations that make them reliable, using whichever language or tool best fits the problem. Develop across the full stack - from backend application logic and APIs to front-end interfaces and cloud infrastructure - based on what each use case actually needs. Work hands-on with the Microsoft AI stack (Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Azure Machine Learning, Cognitive Services) in real production builds, not just sandbox demos. Help shape delivery approaches, understanding when a use case genuinely needs pro-code and when a lighter-touch or low-code option is the honest answer. Take ownership for your slice of each build, ensuring the clarity, reliability, and quality of what you ship. Prototype and experiment with new AI tools, frameworks, and development techniques - including AI-assisted engineering - and share what you learn with the wider team. Collaborate with colleagues and, over time, clients to explain what you’ve built, how it works, and the trade-offs behind key technical decisions. Continuously push your own learning, picking up new parts of the stack as needed rather than staying fixed to one technology or layer.

About the Candidate

Early-career developer (graduate or 0-2 years' experience) with a solid grounding in software engineering and clean, working code. Comfortable across the stack, with reasonable proficiency in Python and/ou JavaScript/TypeScript, and an appetite to work on frontend, backend, data, and cloud. Demonstrated exposure to AI/ML concepts or tools (coursework, projects, or self-taught) and a genuine interest in real-world generative AI applications. Self-starter who experiments, learns fast, and can independently pick up new tools, frameworks, and concepts when the problem demands it. Clear and concise communicator, able to explain what they've built and why to both technical and non-technical audiences. Generalist mindset, preferring to learn whatever piece of the stack the use case needs rather than staying in a narrow lane. Comfortable using modern engineering practices and tooling (e.g. Git, CI/CD, Docker, databases) or motivated to ramp up quickly. Curious, hands‑on, and motivated by shipping real products to users rather than working only on theoretical or sandbox exercises.

Reply is an Equal Opportunities Employer and committed to embracing diversity in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, identity, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status or parental status or any other characteristic protected by the Law. Reply is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, please let us know of any Reasonable Adjustments you may need.