Head of AI Engineering

Job description

SMBC: A trusted partner for the long term Here at SMBC Group, we want to help you find the next step in your career so read on to discover if this opportunity is the one for you. We like to recognise potential in our people, so we welcome your application even when your experience doesn’t perfectly align with the job description. Whilst we’ll always strive to be better, we’re proud of our inclusive culture, and encourage our applicants and colleagues to be their authentic, unique selves. Who we are United by a sense of purpose towards our customers – to be a trusted partner for the long-term – and our universal banking platform in EMEA, SMBC Group has an international growth agenda and award-winning products, meaning we provide exciting opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects and initiatives. We deliver a full suite of corporate finance products and solutions to our customers as well as investment banking and advisory services, and a range of innovative solutions in global capital markets. Read on to find out how you could enhance your skills and gain valuable experience, by joining us to support our clients transition to a sustainable future. Role Summary Is the next step in your career at SMBC Group EMEA? We’re looking for a Head of AI Engineering for our ITSD Department to join our team. We are seeking a visionary and technically accomplished Head of AI Engineering to lead the development and deployment of advanced AI solutions across SMBC EMEA. This role will oversee a team of AI engineers, delivering secure, scalable, and production-grade AI systems that support strategic use cases in Capital Markets and Corporate Banking. The successful candidate will work closely with the AI Innovation and Transformation teams to align on deliverables, priorities, and solution architecture. The role will also require close collaboration with other technical teams within Architecture & Engineering, as well as wider IT functions, to ensure seamless integration, platform alignment, and compliance with enterprise standards. This is a hands-on, delivery-focused position that blends engineering leadership with cross-functional collaboration, regulatory awareness, and a strong commitment to responsible AI development in a regulated financial environment. The anticipated salary range for this role is £132,00 - £198,000 with the final offer determined based on the candidate’s skills, experience, role scope, location, and relevant market factors. In addition to base salary, the role may be eligible for a discretionary incentive award and a competitive benefits package, including core benefits such as pension provision. Business Area SMBC recognises the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of financial services. As the bank accelerates its AI strategy, it is expanding its technical capabilities by establishing a dedicated AI Engineering function to build and scale secure, production-grade AI systems. The Head of AI Engineering will lead this newly formed function, playing a pivotal role in delivering the technical foundation for the bank’s AI programme. This includes overseeing the development of advanced AI solutions—such as LLM-powered services, agentic workflows, and AI-enhanced applications—while ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, security, and regulatory standards. This role is critical to the success of SMBC’s AI ambitions and will work closely with other IT functions and other senior stakeholders to ensure that engineering delivery supports the bank’s broader innovation goals. Knowledge an Experience Education & Qualifications: Educated to degree level in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent professional experience). Postgraduate qualifications (e.g., MSc, PhD) in AI, Machine Learning, or Data Science are advantageous. Relevant certifications in cloud platforms (e.g., Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform) and AI/ML engineering (e.g., TensorFlow Developer, Azure AI Engineer Associate) are desirable. Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning in AI system architecture, secure engineering, and cloud-native development. Knowledge & Experience: Proven track record of delivering secure, scalable AI systems in regulated environments, ideally within financial services. Deep expertise in building and deploying advanced AI solutions, including: LLM-based services and APIs Agentic workflows and orchestration Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines Document intelligence and GenAI applications Strong hands-on experience with cloud-native AI development on Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), including services such as Azure OpenAI, Azure ML, Vertex AI, and Gemini. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams across front-end and back-end disciplines. In-depth understanding of secure engineering practices, including encryption, access control, secure context injection, and audit logging. Familiarity with AI governance and regulatory frameworks such as the EU AI Act, FCA/PRA guidance, GDPR, ISO/IEC 42001, and NIST AI RMF. Experience working closely with cybersecurity, legal, and risk teams to ensure compliance and audit readiness. Strong background in MLOps and DevSecOps, including CI/CD pipelines, model monitoring, drift detection, and infrastructure-as-code. Skills : Ability to lead complex AI engineering programmes, set technical direction, and drive delivery across multidisciplinary teams. Deep expertise in designing scalable, secure, and modular AI systems, including LLM services, agentic workflows, and RAG pipelines. Advanced proficiency in building and deploying AI solutions on Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Strong understanding of secure coding practices, encryption, access control, and auditability in AI systems. Skilled in implementing CI/CD pipelines, model monitoring, drift detection, and infrastructure-as-code. Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work across engineering, innovation, risk, and compliance teams. Familiarity with AI and data regulations (e.g., EU AI Act, GDPR, FCA/PRA guidance) and experience embedding compliance into engineering workflows. Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to resolve complex technical and delivery challenges. Proven ability to build, mentor, and scale high-performing engineering teams in fast-paced, regulated environments. Competencies Customer Focus Driving Change Driving Results Embraces Diversity Enterprise Leadership Judgement and Decision Making Risk Management Strategic and Visionary Trust and Integrity What we offer For all the expertise and experience you bring to help us make a difference, it’s only sustainable if we support you to build your career and be your best self so we offer competitive company benefits, centred around promoting positive well-bring and work-life balance. We also believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, where all team members perspectives and contributions are valued. Initiatives in place which promote a diverse and inclusive culture and healthy work life balance include hybrid working, Sport & Social Clubs and Diversity and Inclusion networks. As an employee of SMBC you have access to a host of both useful and exciting benefit offerings. See below some of the benefits on offer to you: Hybrid and flexible working Competitive paid leave days Benefits to support your physical wellbeing, including private medical insurance and life and invalidity insurance Various policies to support your mental wellbeing, including a robust behavioural health network with counselling and coaching services Access a wide range of learning and development opportunities and career progression opportunities Ambitious remuneration package So, if you like a challenge and want to continuously grow and develop in a role where you will be supported along the way by a dynamic and diverse team, apply today!! We recognise our role as a bank to support social change and welcome all applications, including those from groups often under-represented in financial services. We value the uniqueness of professional and personal, backgrounds and perspectives as they play a vital role in continuing the sustainable growth of our organisation. We’ll ensure reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process are offered due to a disability or long-term condition whenever requested. We are committed to transparent and equitable pay practices. Compensation is determined using objective criteria, including skills, experience, and role responsibilities, and applied consistently throughout our recruitment processes. We do not request candidates' pay history and are committed to preventing unjustified pay disparities.