Principal Software Engineer (AI, Global Public Sector)

Location: London, UK; travel to client sites is required as engagements require.

Company

hirify.global develops reliable AI systems, high-quality training data, and full-stack technologies for enterprises and governments building and deploying AI applications.

What you will do

• Solve the hardest technical problems across public-sector programs and unblock projects.
• Lead early client engagements by scoping problems, shaping proofs of concept, and minimizing scope needed to prove value.
• Build AI agents, evaluation pipelines, data systems, and knowledge systems, taking promising prototypes into production.
• Define cohesive, secure, reusable technology and architecture across client solutions.
• Mentor engineers through pairing, design reviews, and code reviews while raising engineering standards.
• Partner with Directors, VPs, client executives, and engineering teams on high-stakes technical and business trade-offs; develop reusable platform capabilities from field experience.

Requirements

• Strong engineering background and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of post-graduation engineering experience, with proficiency in Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Java, or C++.
• 5+ years applying AI/ML in production, including generative or agentic AI applications, RAG systems, or evaluation pipelines.
• Experience taking ambiguous early-stage problems from a blank page to a working prototype and into production.
• Deep system design and architecture expertise, including cloud-based machine learning tools and platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure.
• Experience mentoring engineers and raising the technical bar of a team or organisation.
• Comfort working directly with clients ranging from engineering teams to senior executives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional collaboration.

Nice to have

• Forward deployed engineering experience.
• Startup experience, particularly as a founding engineer.
• Experience building and deploying large-hirify.global AI solutions.
• Experience delivering technology programs for governments or regulated industries.
• Experience deploying solutions on-premises or in customer-controlled environments.
• Current or previous UK government security clearance, such as SC or DV.

Culture & Benefits

• Work focuses on AI applications and reusable capabilities for governments and public-sector transformation.
• Mentoring is a core responsibility in a young engineering organisation.
• Inclusive and equal-opportunity workplace with reasonable accommodation support.
• Candidates must wait 90 days before being reconsidered for the same role.