Principal Engineer (Gen AI and MACH Architecture)

London

Technology

About the Role

At AKQA in the Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations space, Design and innovation transforming ideas into world-changing impact.

At AKQA (part of WPP), we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design and build adaptive digital products, services and experiences that capture the imagination and deliver impressive returns for our clients.

We are looking for a senior, architecture-led Principal Engineer to join our London Technology team. This is a hands-on engineering role, not a strategy-only or evangelism position. You will spend the majority of your time designing, building and shipping enterprise-grade systems, with roughly 65 to 70% hands-on delivery and 30 to 35% technical leadership, architecture and team guidance.

You will lead the technical direction of complex client programmes across MACH architectures and production Generative AI; spanning Design to Code workflows, solution design and API contracts through to cloud infrastructure, deployment and ongoing operation. You will own architecture decisions, write and review production code, and mentor engineers, while remaining accountable for what ships, not just what is proposed.

Production Generative AI experience is essential. You must have at least three years' experience working with Generative AI, and have delivered at least one AI capability into a live, enterprise environment; not limited to prototypes, proofs of concept or demo builds. We need engineers who understand retrieval pipelines, evaluation, cost, governance and operational reliability at scale; including where custom model creation, fine-tuning or adaptation is required for production delivery.

AKQA is advanced in Design Systems and Design to Code practice; from Figma design systems through to UI development and application delivery. Generative AI is increasingly embedded across this design-to-application workflow, accelerating the path from design intent to p

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What It's Like to Work at AKQA

What It's Like to Work Here

Lightbulb Pioneering Innovation

Users Collaborative Trust

Compass Purpose-Driven Work

Zap Flexible Empowerment

Heart Inclusive Community

Target Growth Ownership

Frequently Asked Questions About Working at AKQA

Common questions candidates ask about this role and AKQA's workplace

AKQA is a design and innovation company that employs over 6,500 professionals across 20 countries. Awarded the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Digital Craft in 2023 and named by Gartner as one of the world’s leading marketing agencies in 2021. Winner of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in 2022, and recognised as a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators in 2020.

Please review the specific job listing or contact AKQA's recruiting team for details on remote or hybrid work options for this role.

Salary information may vary by role and location. Please check the specific job listing or discuss compensation during the interview process.

AKQA is an established organization in its industry. The company focuses on maintaining a supportive workplace culture for all employees.

Key benefit categories include: Health & Wellbeing, Work-Life Balance, Financial & Discounts, Professional Development, Inclusion & Community. You can view more details on their CertCheck profile.

The day-to-day environment is guided by core values such as Pioneering Innovation and Collaborative Trust and Purpose-Driven Work.

The company has committed to inclusive practices including: Empower Through Trust and Accountability and Champion Inclusive Growth and Diversity.

AKQA has a supportive and collaborative culture, recognized as a loved place to work by its team members.

AKQA currently has 34 open positions. They are hiring across departments like Client Services, Creative, Technology. You can view all current openings at certcheck.mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/akqa/jobs.

The interview process typically involves an initial recruiter screen followed by team interviews. Please contact AKQA's recruiting team for specific details on this role's process.