AI Innovation Engineer/AI Solutions Engineer
Posted 2 weeks ago by Standard 8
Negotiable
Undetermined
Hybrid
Manchester, Lancashire, UK
Summary: The AI Innovation Engineer/AI Solutions Engineer role focuses on developing practical AI solutions to real business problems, emphasizing hands-on work with emerging AI technologies. The position requires rapid prototyping and collaboration with business teams to identify pain points and translate them into actionable AI strategies. Candidates should possess strong Python skills and experience with Generative AI, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building and experimenting with AI tools while maintaining a practical approach to governance and enterprise needs.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop practical AI solutions to address real business problems.
- Rapidly prototype ideas into working proof of concepts.
- Collaborate with business teams to identify pain points and translate them into AI strategies.
- Evaluate emerging AI products and automation opportunities.
- Utilize tools such as OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, LangChain, CrewAI, and AutoGen.
- Document findings and recommend next steps based on evidence.
Key Skills:
- Strong Python and API integration experience.
- Hands-on Generative AI experience across LLMs and modern AI tooling.
- Exposure to frameworks such as LangChain, CrewAI, or AutoGen.
- A track record of building quick, credible proof of concepts.
- The confidence to speak with business stakeholders and technical teams.
- A practical understanding of AI adoption, governance, and enterprise constraints.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Manchester
Country: UK
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: IT
Detailed Description From Employer:
AI Innovation Engineer/AI Solutions Engineer
Location: Hybrid/UK-based
Salary: Competitive
Standard 8 are representing a business looking for an AI Innovation Engineer who can cut through the noise and work out what is actually useful.
This is not a "sit in meetings and talk about AI strategy" role. It is for someone who can take a real business problem, explore the right tools, build something that works, and explain whether it is worth taking further.
You will be looking at emerging AI products, LLMs, agentic frameworks and automation opportunities, then turning ideas into working proof of concepts quickly. The business wants someone who can move from problem to prototype to recommendation in weeks, not quarters.
Day to day, you will be working with business teams to understand where the pain points are, then translating those into practical AI solutions that engineering teams can build on. Some ideas will be worth scaling. Some will not. Your job is to find out quickly, with evidence, and without getting carried away by hype.
You will be hands-on with tools such as OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, LangChain, CrewAI and AutoGen. Strong Python skills are important, along with experience integrating APIs and pulling together working demos that people can actually use and understand.
We are looking for someone with a software engineering or solution architecture background and at least 1-3 years working with Generative AI. You should have built AI proof of concepts before, worked with stakeholders outside of tech, and understand that enterprise AI needs governance, security and commercial sense as much as clever prompts.
You do not need to pretend every AI tool is revolutionary. You do need to be curious, practical and quick to learn. The right person will enjoy experimenting, but they will also know when to stop, document what they have found, and recommend a sensible next step.
This would suit someone who likes being close to the problem, close to the technology, and close to the decision-making. A builder, not a commentator.
What you'll need:
- Strong Python and API integration experience.
- Hands-on Generative AI experience across LLMs and modern AI tooling.
- Exposure to frameworks such as LangChain, CrewAI or AutoGen.
- A track record of building quick, credible proof of concepts.
- The confidence to speak with business stakeholders and technical teams.
- A practical understanding of AI adoption, governance and enterprise constraints.
Standard 8 are managing applications for this role. Send your CV over and we'll take it from there.
