Lead Applied Engineer

The Alan Turing Institute; Greater London; On-site; GBP 69,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Family friendly policies

Employee-only benefits guide | TheAlan

Job summary

The Alan Turing Institute in London is seeking a Lead Applied Engineer to be the technical anchor of a new team from day one. This hands-on role involves designing, building and deploying production-grade systems, alongside three fellow engineers, with direct engagement from senior Institute staff and Defence partners.

You will drive architecture, secure development lifecycle, MLOps and deployment patterns, and translate Defence requirements into practical solutions while leading a small

Qualifications

• Hands-on engineering leader with expertise in software architecture and secure development.
• Experience delivering production-grade systems and translating complex requirements into deployable solutions.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across software, data and AI projects and communicate with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design and build Defence solutions from requirement to deployable system, staying close to code.
• Work with Defence customers to derive requirements and translate to technical solutions.
• Establish secure development lifecycle, MLOps and deployment patterns.
• Bridge between Turing research and operational delivery; assess maturity and prioritise delivery.
• Review team's technical work, unblock delivery and make critical calls.
• Provide day-to-day technical leadership for a small cross-functional team.
• Provide technical QA review of policy research outputs.

Skills

Hands-on engineering leadership

Software architecture

Secure development

CI/CD

Production-grade systems

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

We are looking for a Lead Applied Engineer to be the technical anchor of this team from day one. This is a hands-on role: you will spend most of your time designing, building and deploying. You will be hired alongside the first three engineers, so you start with colleagues around you rather than a team that exists only on paper. Strategic direction comes from senior Institute staff; the day-to-day technical leadership of the team is yours. You will work directly with stakeholders to identify the highest-impact problems and lead the team from project design to delivery into constrained environments. You will set the technical standards for the team, leading by example.

The role sits at the intersection of engineering delivery, solution architecture and applied AI. It suits a strong engineer with leadership experience who is comfortable in fast-moving environments, is motivated by direct operational impact and enjoys engaging closely with stakeholders.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

• Design and build: take Defence problems from requirement through architecture to working, deployable systems, and stay close to the code throughout.
• Work directly with Defence customers to draw out requirements and translate them into technical solutions that operate within the constraints of the deployment environment.
• Establish how the team builds from day one: secure development lifecycle, MLOps and deployment patterns, evaluation and assurance of AI systems, code quality and documentation.
• Act as the bridge between Turing research and operational delivery: for example, assessing research outputs for maturity and exploitability & deciding what to prioritise for delivery
• Review and challenge the team's technical work, unblock delivery and make the calls that keep it moving.
• Provide day-to-day technical leadership and management for a small cross-functional team
• Provide technical quality assurance review of the Turing policy research team’s outputs

ABOUT YOU

The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineering leader with deep expertise in software architecture, secure development, CI/CD and the delivery of production-grade systems. You will have a proven ability to translate complex customer requirements into practical, deployable solutions, while leading multidisciplinary teams across software, data and AI projects. Comfortable operating between research and real-world delivery, they will be skilled at identifying high-value innovations and turning them into robust, operational capabilities. You are a confident communicator who can challenge and defend technical decisions with senior stakeholders, lead by example through their own engineering excellence, and thrive in fast-paced environments where data and AI systems are built from the ground up to deliver meaningful impact for UK defence and national security.

Please see our portal for a full breakdown of the role.

Closing date for applications: Sunday 01 November at 23:59 (London, UK BST/GMT)

Term and Conditions

This full-time post is offered on a permanent basis. Salary range is £69,000 - £82,500 plus excellent benefits,

• flexible working
• family friendly policies
• Employee-only benefits guide | The Alan Turing Institute

Given the close working relationship with government partners, this role requires regular on-site presence with Defence partners in London 3 days per week, with possible occasional travel to other sites in the UK, in addition to the Institute's standard office attendance expectations.

Eligibility for DV clearance is an essential requirement for this role. Eligibility criteria and further information on the process can be found on the UK Government security vetting website.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Alan Turing Institute is committed to creating an environment where diversity is valued and everyone is treated fairly. We value diversity of background, experience, and perspective, and are proud to be an inclusive employer. We warmly encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from groups currently under-represented in our sector. If you feel passionate about this role but don’t meet every single requirement, please apply - we recognise that great candidates may bring strengths beyond the criteria listed