Senior AI Automation Engineer

Senior AI Automation EngineerPlease read the below high-level overview of this role first before getting in touchWe are building AI engineering capability within our internal tax technology function. This is a hands-on Senior AI Automation Engineer role focused on designing, building and deploying production-grade AI agents, automated workflows and scalable integrations used directly by internal business teams.This role would suit someone who can combine strong Python engineering with practical AI/LLM application experience, Azure cloud capability and enterprise integration skills.If this sounds like a good match for you, contact Lorenz Pasch at Hays Recruitment ASAP | My contact details for direct contact are available on my LinkedIn profile

Unfortunately, there are no sponsorship options available for this position.The Role

You will join a growing internal technology team focused on delivering AI-powered systems into a governed enterprise environment. This is not a research or proof-of-concept role; the focus is on building reliable, production-ready AI tools, automation workflows and reusable engineering components that are adopted by real users.You will work across applied AI, software engineering, automation and platform integration, helping to shape engineering standards while supporting the development of early-career engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and build AI agents and multistep workflows for internal tax and business use cases.
• Develop Python-based services, automation pipelines and production-grade applications.
• Integrate AI systems with internal platforms using APIs, authentication and event-driven architectures.
• Orchestrate workflows across Microsoft AI platforms, Copilot Studio, Azure AI services and internal systems.
• Build reusable components including connectors, agent tools and shared automation services.
• Implement CI/CD pipelines for reliable deployment, versioning and release management.
• Ensure AI solutions are scalable, observable, secure and maintainable in an enterprise environment.
• Lead technical design discussions, code reviews and engineering best practice.
• Support junior and early-career engineers through mentoring and technical guidance.
• Measure outcomes, gather user feedback and iterate solutions based on real-world usage.

Skills and Experience Required

• Strong Python engineering skills, including APIs, testing, modular design and async processing.
• Experience building production-grade applications, services or automation platforms.
• Practical experience building AI, LLM, agentic or workflow-based applications.
• Understanding of AI agents, orchestration patterns, tool use and the limitations of large language models.
• Experience with Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Copilot Studio or similar platforms would be highly beneficial.
• Strong experience with REST APIs, GraphQL, authentication and system integration.
• Experience building reusable services, connectors or internal platform components.
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, Git workflows, automated testing, deployment and monitoring.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure, including AI services, Azure Functions, containers or Azure Container Apps.
• Containerisation experience with Docker, Kubernetes or similar technologies would be advantageous.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in tax, finance, accounting, audit, legal, consulting or another regulated environment.
• Experience with prompt evaluation, prompt/version control or AI governance.
• Exposure to Microsoft Power Platform or Copilot Studio ecosystems.
• Experience working with internal platforms, shared services or enterprise automation.
• Understanding of auditability, security, permissions and human-in-the-loop workflows.

Suitable Backgrounds

This opportunity may suit someone currently working as a Senior AI Engineer, LLM Engineer, AI Automation Engineer, Applied AI Engineer, AI Platform Engineer, Senior Python Engineer, Python Automation Engineer, Azure AI Engineer, Workflow Automation Engineer, Integration Engineer or Platform Engineer.

Benefits

• Hybrid and flexible working.
• 27 days' annual leave, with the option to purchase additional days.
• Health, lifestyle and wellbeing benefits.
• Financial wellbeing tools and support.
• Electric car scheme.
• Access to a virtual GP.
• Access to a large suite of on-demand learning and development courses.

This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who wants to move beyond AI prototypes and build real, production-grade AI agents, automation workflows and Python services that have a direct impact on business operations. If interested, call Lorenz Pasch at Hays Recruitment on ASAP.

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