AVP - AI Platform Engineer

Embark on an AI Revolution at Barclays: AVP AI Platform Engineer Opportunity

Barclays is at the forefront of a significant transformation in financial services, launching a cutting-edge initiative to build a next-generation AI platform. This is your chance to join a groundbreaking project that will empower front-office developers, including Quants and Strats, to create high-performance, AI-driven applications. As an Assistant Vice President (AVP) AI Platform Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in designing, building, and scaling robust platform components that will support advanced AI/ML workloads across both on-premises and cloud environments.

This is a highly hands-on engineering role where your expertise will directly shape the secure, scalable, and innovative solutions delivered. You'll collaborate with diverse teams, tackle complex technical challenges, and significantly influence the strategic direction of a platform poised to redefine AI's application in finance.

Key Advantages for Aspiring AI Platform Engineers:

• Shape the Future of AI in Finance: Be at the forefront of innovation, contributing to a platform that will revolutionize how AI is leveraged in a leading financial institution.
• Hands-On Technical Impact: This role offers significant opportunities for direct technical contribution, allowing you to influence architectural decisions and build impactful solutions.
• Exposure to Cutting-Edge Technologies: Work with a comprehensive suite of AWS services, integrate generative AI tooling, and explore advanced AI infrastructure concepts like LLMs, SLMs, and agentic frameworks.
• Career Growth and Development: Contribute to a high-profile project that offers substantial learning opportunities and the chance to develop expertise in in-demand AI and cloud technologies.
• Collaborative and Innovative Environment: Join a team that fosters knowledge sharing, encourages participation in technical communities, and values a culture of technical excellence.
• Strategic Influence: As an AVP, you'll have the opportunity to advise on technical strategy, influence decision-making, and potentially lead teams, impacting the broader business function.

Key Considerations for Candidates:

To excel in this role, a strong foundation in the following areas is essential:

• Core Python Engineering: Proven experience in backend development and infrastructure tooling is a must.
• AWS Expertise: Deep knowledge of key AWS services such as IAM, KMS, CloudFormation, API Gateway, S3, Lambda, ECS, Glue, Step Functions, MSK, EKS, and Bedrock is critical.
• AI/ML Workload Scaling: Experience in scaling platforms for AI/ML workloads and integrating generative AI tooling demonstrates practical application of your skills.
• Security and Optimization: A solid understanding of secure software development, cloud cost optimization, and platform observability ensures robust and efficient solutions.
• Communication Skills: The ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences is vital for cross-functional collaboration.
• Leadership Potential: Demonstrated capability to guide engineering teams and influence technical strategy will be a key factor.

While the above are crucial, candidates with the following skills will find themselves particularly well-positioned:

• MLOps Platforms: Experience with platforms like Databricks or SageMaker, and familiarity with hybrid cloud strategies (Azure, on-prem Kubernetes).
• AI Infrastructure Specialization: A strong grasp of AI infrastructure for scalable model serving, distributed training, and GPU orchestration.
• Large and Small Language Models: Expertise in LLMs and SLMs, including fine-tuning and enterprise deployment.
• Hugging Face Ecosystem: Hands-on experience with Hugging Face libraries and tools for model lifecycle management.
• Agentic Frameworks: Familiarity with agentic frameworks like LangChain or AutoGen, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for building autonomous AI.
• Emerging Trends: Awareness of the latest advancements in GenAI platforms, open-source MLOps, and cloud-native AI solutions.

Candidates will be assessed on critical skills including risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking, and digital and technology proficiency, alongside job-specific technical skills. As an AVP, you'll be expected to embody Barclays' values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Stewardship, and demonstrate the Barclays Mindset of Empower, Challenge, and Drive.

This exciting opportunity is available at our Glasgow or Canary Wharf offices, offering a chance to significantly advance your career in the dynamic field of AI within the financial services industry.