Senior Python AI Engineer — Scalable AI Platforms

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Bracknell; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Syngenta Crop Protection is seeking a hands-on senior Software Engineer with deep Python expertise to build reliable internal platforms and developer-enablement capabilities.

You will apply AI practically, including RAG-based search and conversational experiences over internal documentation, while maintaining a high bar for engineering quality, security, scalability and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on experience as a Software Engineer with production-level Python expertise; Java experience also considered.
• Strong ability to write clean, maintainable, well-tested code and solve complex engineering problems independently.
• Proficiency in modern Python practices: packaging, dependency management, typing, async programming and API development.
• Experience designing and maintaining reusable libraries, service templates or internal developer platforms.
• Strong knowledge of software quality practices including automated testing, code reviews, CI/CD and release engineering.
• Practical experience with Docker, Kubernetes and Infrastructure as Code, ideally Terraform.
• Experience with observability, monitoring, alerting, performance profiling and benchmarking.
• Understanding of secure coding practices and threat/vulnerability management.
• Applied knowledge of Generative AI and LLM patterns, especially RAG, for document search or conversational interfaces over enterprise content.
• Strong written and spoken English for cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain production-grade Python services, libraries and developer tools.
• Apply modern Python practices including packaging, typing, async programming and maintainable API design.
• Create shared libraries, service templates and engineering standards for multiple internal teams.
• Build and evolve AI-enabled capabilities, including RAG-based search and conversational solutions over internal documentation.
• Define robust evaluation approaches for AI-assisted features balancing usefulness, reliability, security and cost.
• Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native delivery practices using Docker, Kubernetes and Terraform.
• Establish testing, code quality, documentation-as-code and secure SDLC practices.
• Improve performance, scalability and reliability via profiling and architectural improvements.
• Implement monitoring, alerting and operational standards for platform services.
• Conduct code reviews, mentor engineers and raise engineering standards across the team.
• Partner with engineering, product and scientific stakeholders to translate complex needs into scalable technical solutions.

Skills

Python

Java

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Observability

Security best practices

Generative AI / RAG

English communication

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Job description

Syngenta Crop Protection is seeking a hands-on senior Software Engineer with deep Python expertise to build reliable internal platforms and developer-enablement capabilities.

You will apply AI practically, including RAG-based search and conversational experiences over internal documentation, while maintaining a high bar for engineering quality, security, scalability and operational excellence.