AI Engineering Lead

Job description

About Planet Planet is a global provider of integrated technology and payments solutions for retail and hospitality customers. We create great experiences for the millions of people who use our payments, software, and tax-free solutions every minute of every day. Planet empowers its customers to deliver great customer experiences by combining payments and software in ways that drive greater loyalty, increase revenue and save time. Founded over 35 years ago and with our headquarters in London, today we have more than 2,500 employees located across six continents serving our customers in more than 120 markets. Role Overview We are looking for a Senior Engineering & AI Tech Lead to provide hands‑on technical leadership for our on‑premise hospitality products, while systematically infusing AI into both the product roadmap and the day‑to‑day ways of working of the engineering team. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable owning complex C# / C++ systems, modernising legacy platforms, and pragmatically applying AI (LLMs, ML, automation) where it creates real customer or operational value — not experimentation for experimentation’s sake. This is a hands‑on role: you will design, code, review, coach, and lead by example while steadily raising the technical and delivery bar of the team. What you will do Technical & Product Leadership Act as the technical authority for the on‑prem product suite, spanning legacy and modern components Drive architecture, design decisions, and technical standards across C# and C++ codebases Own the technical execution of the product roadmap, ensuring delivery predictability, quality, and sustainability Partner closely with Product leadership to translate business goals into executable technical plans Identify and reduce systemic technical debt and operational risk AI Enablement & Adoption Identify high‑leverage AI opportunities across the product: automation, supportability, configuration, data quality, compliance, and operational efficiency Lead the pragmatic adoption of AI / LLM‑based capabilities in production environments Define standards for AI quality, testing, observability, security, and responsible use Introduce AI‑assisted ways of working for the engineering team (e.g. development productivity, testing, diagnostics, documentation) Ensure AI is embedded into normal delivery workflows, not treated as a standalone initiative Delivery Ownership Take end‑to‑end accountability for delivery outcomes, including prioritisation, execution, and risk management Establish and track engineering KPIs (predictability, quality, operational health) Ensure systems meet legal, fiscal, security, and regulatory requirements relevant to on‑prem hospitality software Team Leadership & Enablement Serve as a engineering team lead for the team as assigned Lead through influence, coaching, and example rather than hierarchy Mentor engineers; raise technical judgment and ownership across the team for AI Shape common engineering practices: code reviews, testing strategies, CI/CD, documentation, incident handling Gradually evolve team maturity, structure, and accountability as needed Ways of Working & Operational Excellence Drive continuous improvement in engineering practices, tooling, and workflows Introduce clearer technical decision‑making, ownership boundaries, and escalation paths Improve collaboration across Product, Support, Operations, and Compliance Who you are Technical background Strong professional experience in C# and C++ within complex commercial software products Deep understanding of software architecture, distributed systems, and long‑lived codebases Proven hands‑on experience delivering AI/ML or LLM‑based features into production Comfortable modernising legacy systems while maintaining reliability for existing customers Leadership & mindset Experienced technical leader who can run a team without relying on title or hierarchy Pragmatic, outcome‑oriented, and commercially aware Strong coach and mentor; raises the bar for others through clarity and example Confident making—and standing behind—technical decisions Delivery & communication Track record of delivering complex software predictably and safely Able to communicate clearly with engineers, product managers, and senior stakeholders Fluent English Why Planet: Planet is an equal opportunity employer where diversity is valued, and all employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need. Come and grow your career in the most exciting, fast paced technology market, with a business that delivers feel-good connected commerce. We would love to hear from you – Apply now . At Planet, we embrace a hybrid work model, with three days a week in the office. Reasonable accommodations may be made in order to allow for an individual to perform the essential functions of this role successfully.