AI Back End Engineer

AI Back End Engineer** (Contract)

Duration: 6 Months (Possibility for extension)

Location: London/Hybrid (2 - 3 days on site)

Rate: A highly competitive Umbrella Day Rate is available for suitable candidates

Role Profile

Are you ready to shape the future of AI in financial services? We are looking for a talented AI Back-End Engineer to join our dynamic innovation team within the investment banking sector. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a greenfield environment, where you will play a crucial role in designing and deploying secure, scalable AI services that drive next-generation use cases, including client intelligence, document processing, and risk management.

Key Responsibilities:

Architect & Implement: Design and deploy secure AI services from lab to production, ensuring they are scalable and compliant with industry standards.
API Development: Create robust APIs for large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, agentic workflows, and document intelligence systems.
Cybersecurity & Privacy: Integrate cybersecurity and data privacy controls across all AI workflows, including encryption, anonymisation, and access logging.
Collaborate with CISO: Work closely with the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) function on threat modelling, security reviews, and AI-specific control design.
Enterprise Integration: Integrate with enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems, enforcing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and least privilege principles.
Compliance Support: Conduct vulnerability scans, manage pen-test remediation, and assist in internal and regulatory audits (FCA, PRA).

Required Knowledge & Experience:

Proven experience delivering greenfield AI systems in production with secure-by-design architecture.
Expertise in designing and managing AI lab environments using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), containerisation, and secure networking practises.
Hands-on experience with LLM implementation, including fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and secure deployment.
Proficiency in building agentic workflows using modular LLM agents with memory, planning, and tool integration.
Experience implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) for secure, auditable context injection across agentic systems.
Demonstrated ability to build RAG pipelines with strict data governance and contextual integrity.
Familiarity with regulatory frameworks such as the EU AI Act, FCA cybersecurity principles, and oversight of critical systems.
Previous collaboration with cybersecurity and compliance teams in regulated environments.
Knowledge of controls under ISO 27001, NIST, or SOC2 frameworks.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the above in their CV in order to be considered.

If you feel you have the skills and experience and want to hear more about this role 'apply now' to declare your interest in this opportunity with our client. Your application will be observed by our dedicated team.

We will respond to all successful applicants ASAP however, please be advised that we will always look to contact you further from this time should we need further applicants or if other opportunities arise relevant to your skillset.

Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive.

As part of our standard hiring process to manage risk, please note background screening checks will be conducted on all hires before commencing employment