Intermediate AI Engineer - Pretoria - up to R720k CTC

ATS Client; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 432,000 - 720,000; Full time

Job summary

ATS Client in Pretoria is seeking an Intermediate AI Engineer to design and deliver AI-powered solutions that leverage LLMs, RAG, and autonomous agents. You will work on scalable architectures and modern AI systems, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deploy reliable AI applications.

The candidate will build vector search and data pipelines, optimise costs and latency, and implement cloud-based platforms with Docker/Kubernetes, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in CS/Engineering or related tech field.
• 4+ years of professional software development experience.
• Hands-on experience building or deploying LLM-powered apps, AI agents, or intelligent automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy robust AI applications including agent-based systems and RAG architectures.
• Build and optimise vector search solutions for large datasets.
• Evaluate LLM strategies including fine-tuning, RAG, context management, and cost/performance optimisations.
• Develop scalable backend services and APIs with Python (FastAPI/Flask).
• Architect and maintain cloud-based AI platforms on AWS or Azure with cloud-native tools.
• Implement containerisation/orchestration with Docker, Kubernetes, or ECS and IaC practices.
• Design and manage data architectures (PostgreSQL; optional NoSQL integration).
• Apply microservices and event-driven architectures with clean code practices.
• Collaborate with frontend/product teams to integrate AI features into web apps.

Skills

Software development

LLM experience

Cloud platforms

Distributed systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technology discipline

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

FastAPI

PostgreSQL

Job description

An innovative and fast‑growing technology company is looking for an Intermediate AI Engineer to help design and deliver advanced artificial intelligence solutions. This role combines strong software engineering capability with expertise in modern AI systems and scalable architecture.

You will play a key role in building intelligent applications powered by large language models, including autonomous agents, reasoning pipelines, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions. Working closely with cross‑functional engineering teams, you will take ownership of technical design, development, and deployment of AI‑powered platforms.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy robust AI applications, including agent‑based systems, multi‑agent workflows, and RAG architectures using modern LLM frameworks such as LangChain.
• Build and optimise vector search solutions, ensuring efficient indexing, retrieval, and relevance across large‑scale datasets.
• Evaluate and implement LLM strategies, including decisions around fine‑tuning, RAG approaches, context management, and optimisation of cost, latency, and performance.
• Develop scalable backend services and APIs using Python and frameworks such as FastAPI or Flask.
• Architect and maintain cloud‑based AI platforms on AWS or Azure, leveraging managed AI services and modern cloud‑native tools.
• Implement containerisation and orchestration solutions using Docker, Kubernetes, or ECS, supported by Infrastructure‑as‑Code practices.
• Design and manage reliable data architectures, including PostgreSQL database structures, query optimisation, and integration with NoSQL technologies where required.
• Apply modern software engineering practices such as microservices architecture, event‑driven systems, and clean code principles.
• Collaborate with frontend and product teams to integrate AI capabilities into web‑based applications and digital products.
• Contribute to technical decision‑making and mentor team members while supporting the successful delivery of complex AI initiatives.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technology discipline.
• 4+ years of professional software development experience.
• Hands‑on experience building or deploying LLM‑powered applications, AI agents, or intelligent automation solutions.
• Proven ability to contribute to the delivery of complex technical projects within collaborative engineering teams.

Position Details

Reference Number: NG60985. Position: Permanent Hybrid based in Pretoria. Salary: up to R720k per annum (negotiable).