Senior Forward Deployed AI engineer

Barclays; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Barclays in London is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed AI engineer to design and prototype scalable AI solutions, moving quickly from idea to PoC to production, with a hacker mindset.

You will build Python APIs (FastAPI/Flask), deploy on AWS (ECS/EKS, Lambda), and work with LangChain, AutoGen, and CrewAI to deliver generative AI applications.

This role emphasizes risk awareness, collaboration with technology, and delivering analytics that inform business decisions within the banking domain.

Qualifications

• Proven experience building production-grade AI apps and APIs.
• Hands-on with Generative AI and RAG workflows.
• Experience with CI/CD, monitoring, and model ops.
• Familiarity with investment banking workflows is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design analytics and modelling solutions for complex business problems.
• Collaborate with technology to specify data, environments and dependencies.
• Develop high performing, well-documented analytics and modelling solutions.
• Operationalise analytics and models into production software.
• Provide ongoing support and risk/control alignment.

Skills

Python

APIs

AWS

MLOps

RAG

Agent systems

Tools

LangChain

AutoGen

CrewAI

AWS Bedrock

Docker

ECS/EKS

Lambda

Job description

Join Barclays as a Senior Forward Deployed AI engineer, where you'll be at the forefront to design what good looks like and move in fast iteration to prove concepts and prototypes that can be scaled later into our central platform, this role requires appetite for innovation, a can-do attitude and a hacker mindset.

To be successful as a Senior Forward Deployed AI engineer, you should have experience with:

• Ample Python systems engineering with experience building APIs (FastAPI/Flask) and deploying on AWS (ECS/EKS, Lambda, Bedrock, Docker).

• Notable understanding and experience building generative AI applications (LangChain, AutoGen, CrewAI or similar).

• Validated production experience with RAG, agent, and MCP-based systems, including AgentOps (CI/CD, monitoring, optimisation).

• Applied, pragmatic "builder/hacker" mindset with rapid iteration (idea to POC to production).

Some other highly valued skills may include:

• Understanding or ample interest in Investment Banking / Research workflows and financial data platforms (Bloomberg, FactSet, Refinitiv).

• Experience with M365 Copilot / Copilot Studio, plugins, and skills.

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

This role will be based in our London office.

Purpose of the role

To design, develop, implement, and support mathematical, statistical, and machine learning models and analytics used in business decision-making

Accountabilities

• Design analytics and modelling solutions to complex business problems using domain expertise.

• Collaboration with technology to specify any dependencies required for analytical solutions, such as data, development environments and tools.

• Development of high performing, comprehensively documented analytics and modelling solutions, demonstrating their efficacy to business users and independent validation teams.

• Implementation of analytics and models in accurate, stable, well-tested software and work with technology to operationalise them.

• Provision of ongoing support for the continued effectiveness of analytics and modelling solutions to users.

• Demonstrate conformance to all Barclays Enterprise Risk Management Policies, particularly Model Risk Policy.

• Ensure all development activities are undertaken within the defined control environment.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and elevate breaches of policies/procedures..

• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..

• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L - Listen and be authentic, E - Energise and inspire, A - Align across the enterprise, D - Develop others..

• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..

• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.

• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.

• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.

• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.

• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.

• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.

• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.

• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship - our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset - to Empower, Challenge and Drive - the operating manual for how we behave.