Senior AI Engineer

Job Description – AI Engineer (Generative AI & Azure)

Role Overview

Looking for a Python or AI Engineer (Generative AI & Azure) with experience in backend development, AI-enabled applications, Microsoft Azure, APIs, and cloud deployment. The role involves developing and maintaining enterprise applications, AI-powered solutions, automation platforms, and integrations with cloud and Microsoft services.

The candidate should be comfortable working across backend development, AI integration, databases, cloud services, deployment, troubleshooting, and ongoing enhancement of production applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain backend applications using Python and FastAPI.
• Develop REST APIs and integrate frontend applications with backend services.
• Build and maintain AI-powered applications, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), conversational AI, and enterprise knowledge solutions.
• Integrate applications with Azure OpenAI and Azure AI services, including AI Search and Speech services.
• Work with LLMs, prompt engineering, embeddings, semantic/vector search, retrieval pipelines, and AI response processing.
• Develop and maintain AI agents and integrate voice capabilities such as speech-to-text and text-to-speech where required.
• Design and maintain data storage and retrieval solutions using SQL databases and Azure storage services.
• Develop automation workflows for business and financial processes.
• Implement authentication, access control, application logging, usage tracking, and session management.
• Integrate applications with Microsoft services such as Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot, and Outlook, where required.
• Containerise applications using Docker and deploy/manage workloads on Microsoft Azure.
• Work with services such as Azure Container Apps, Azure App Service, Azure Functions, Azure AI Foundry, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Database services, and Azure Container Registry.
• Troubleshoot application, API, database, networking, configuration, and deployment issues across development and cloud environments.
• Monitor application performance and cloud resource usage and support optimisation of Azure infrastructure and costs.
• Write maintainable, reusable, and well-structured code with appropriate testing and documentation.
• Collaborate with technical and business stakeholders to translate requirements into working software solutions.
• Support existing applications, resolve defects, and continuously enhance functionality based on business requirements.

Required Technical Skills

• Strong programming skills in Python
• Experience with FastAPI or similar Python web frameworks
• REST API design and integration
• SQL and relational databases
• Microsoft Azure
• Azure OpenAI / AI services
• Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)
• RAG, embeddings, vector/semantic search, and prompt engineering
• Docker and containerised application deployment
• Git and version control
• Authentication and API security concepts
• Application debugging, logging, and troubleshooting

Desirable Skills

• Azure AI Foundry
• Azure AI Search
• Azure Speech Services
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Microsoft Copilot / Copilot Studio
• Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 integrations
• React or basic frontend development experience
• PostgreSQL
• Azure Functions / Durable Functions
• CI/CD and cloud deployment pipelines
• AI agents and agentic AI workflows
• Document processing, OCR, and intelligent automation

Experience

• Approximately 3+ years of experience in Python/backend software development, with practical exposure to cloud-based and AI-enabled applications.
• Hands-on experience developing, integrating, deploying, and supporting applications in a cloud environment.