Principal AI Engineer

Hastings Direct; Bexhill-on-Sea; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital insurance provider is seeking a Principal AI Engineer to drive innovation through AI and machine learning solutions. The role involves collaborating with various teams, managing AI project lifecycles, and ensuring ethical and scalable solutions. The ideal candidate has extensive AI/ML engineering experience and proficiency in Python. Join us for a hybrid working model with competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

Attractive salary with car allowance

Annual performance bonus

Private medical insurance

Life assurance and income protection

27 days annual leave + bank holidays

Hybrid working model

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in AI/ML engineering.
• Proven track record of delivering production-grade AI solutions.
• Strong knowledge of data engineering principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of AI solutions.
• Collaborate with teams to identify AI opportunities.
• Manage lifecycle of AI projects ensuring scalability.

Skills

AI/ML engineering experience

Data science experience

Production-grade AI solutions

Proficiency in Python

Experience with ML libraries

Model deployment experience

Familiarity with Azure

Data engineering principles

Version control (Git) experience

Tools

Semantic Kernel

Langchain

Agentic frameworks

Job description

At Hastings Direct, storing your data securely is very important to us. Please see our Data Protection Statement and Job Application Terms & Conditions here for details on how your information will be stored.

Time left to apply: End Date: August 17, 2025 (17 days left to apply)

Job requisition id: 60012192

About Us

Hastings Direct is a fast-growing, agile, digitally focused general insurance provider serving over 2.8 million customers in the UK, with more than 3,400 colleagues. Our vision is to be the best and biggest digital insurance provider in the market.

We are different because of our attitude and how we run our business. We focus on doing right by our colleagues, customers, company, and community. Our environment is dynamic, flexible, fun, and ever-changing. We offer opportunities to make a real difference, influence our company, benefit our communities, and enjoy the journey.

Role Overview: Principal AI Engineer

You will be part of the Technology Engineering team within CIO, leading the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI and machine learning solutions that drive innovation, efficiency, and strategic value across the organization.

Collaborating closely with Data Science, Engineering, Product, and Business teams, you'll understand complex challenges and identify AI opportunities. You will manage the entire lifecycle of AI projects—from problem framing and data exploration to model deployment and monitoring—ensuring solutions are scalable, ethical, and aligned with enterprise goals.

Skills we would love you to have:

• Extensive experience in AI/ML engineering, data science, or applied machine learning roles.
• Proven track record of delivering production-grade AI solutions in complex, data-rich environments.
• Proficiency in Python and key ML libraries (e.g., Semantic Kernel, Langchain, and Agentic frameworks).
• Experience deploying models into production using APIs, containers, or cloud-native services.
• Familiarity with Azure and infrastructure-as-code tools.
• Strong knowledge of data engineering principles, including data wrangling, feature engineering, and pipeline orchestration.
• Experience with version control (e.g., Git), CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing for ML code.

What we offer

Join us and experience a different way of doing things—our 4Cs culture focuses on our colleagues, customers, company, and community. We support your growth with training, recognition, and opportunities to implement your ideas.

• Salary: Attractive salary based on experience + car allowance (annual pay reviews)
• Flexible Working: We promote a hybrid approach; discuss details with your recruiter.
• Bonus Scheme: Annual performance bonus based on company and personal performance.
• Physical Wellbeing: Private medical insurance (PMI) coverage.
• Financial Wellbeing: Life assurance (4x salary), income protection, pension match up to 10%, and various discounts and financial support services.
• Mental Wellbeing: Support programs including Thrive mental health app, 24/7 assistance, mental health first aiders, and support groups.
• Additional Benefits: 27 days annual leave + bank holidays, health plans, dental plans, schemes, onsite facilities, social events, and more.

We are committed to inclusivity. If you need adjustments during recruitment, please let us know to ensure a fair process.