Associate AI Engineer

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Contract type : 1-year Fixed Term Contract

Pay band : 7/F

Hours: Full time, 36 hours per week

Salary: £32,381 – £38,267, depending on the candidate’s experience, plus a £3,300 London Market Allowance

Location : UK - London only

Closing Date: 4th October 2026

Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Visa Sponsorship and relocation assistance is not provided.

Role Context

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education, and the English language. We work in two ways - directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence, and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK.

The role sits as part of the Data Evidence and Performance (DEP) team, which is part of the Global Operations function and includes the central oversight and leadership for corporate planning, performance management, evaluation and reporting, the management of strategic risk and of investment, internal audit, shared services, marketing, digital and technology. DEP provides the central leadership and development for the British Council’s Data Analytics and Evidence Strategy working across the organisation with stakeholders to leverage our Data and Evidence assets. This includes driving better data quality through enterprise data governance, designing and delivering data technology and insight solutions, co-ordinating an organisational community of practice for Data Analytics and Evidence, development of the British Council KPIs framework, monitoring and reviewing performance to drive improvement, evaluation, and measurement of impact to help improve decision making.

Role Purpose

The Associate AI Engineer is part of the Data Science and Analytics team, helping to establish and build the British Council enterprise approach to Data Evidence and Performance. The role is responsible for developing, implementing, deploying and maintaining AI-enabled applications and services, working with data scientists, data engineers and Digital and Technology colleagues. The postholder applies good software engineering, cloud, security and responsible AI practices to deliver reliable, user-centred solutions, while continuing to build their technical capability.

Main Accountabilities

Function Support and Service Improvement

AI application development:

- Work with the Data Scientist and cross-functional teams to develop AI-enabled applications and services, including working closely with data engineering and Digital and Technology teams.
- Develop user-facing and backend components using appropriate technologies, including Microsoft Power Apps where suitable and Python or JavaScript-based services where pro-code is required.
- Use Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Foundry, Azure Machine Learning and other Azure AI services to build and integrate AI capabilities.
- Build, test and evaluate AI and generative AI components, including prompt workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), semantic or vector search and agent-based patterns where appropriate.

Application deployment and support:

- Deploy AI applications and models to internal customers, ensuring effective integration, reliability, security and functionality.
- Monitor and troubleshoot developed applications and services, resolving faults and supporting continuous improvement.
- Apply British Council requirements for information security, data protection, accessibility and responsible AI, including appropriate testing and controls for AI-specific risks.

Agile Development:

- Work in an agile development environment, participating in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, reviews and retrospectives.
- Own defined work packages, prioritise tasks with the team and deliver high-quality solutions within agreed timelines.

Relationship and Stakeholder Management

- Support the development of customer-centric and insight-led working.
- Collaborate with team members, stakeholders and subject matter experts to understand user and business needs, translate them into technical requirements, and communicate progress, risks and technical trade-offs clearly.

Leadership and management (self-development)

- Complete British Council induction, mandatory training and role-related learning.
- Keep technical knowledge current across AI, software engineering and cloud technologies, applying learning to practical delivery.
- Seek feedback and mentoring, contribute to code reviews and knowledge sharing, and take responsibility for continuous professional development

Requirements of the role

Minimum/essential

- Degree-level qualification or equivalent practical experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Engineering or another relevant STEM discipline.
- Applied AI engineering. Practical experience, gained through employment, internship, academic work or substantial projects, of building AI or machine learning applications.
- Programming and software engineering. Proficiency in Python and experience with APIs, JSON, Git/version control and testing. Familiarity with SQL and software development practices.
- Generative AI and machine learning. Practical understanding of large language models and common patterns such as prompt engineering, embeddings or vector search, RAG and agentic workflows, plus familiarity with at least one machine learning or AI framework or SDK.
- Cloud and deployment. Practical exposure to Azure or another major cloud platform for developing or deploying applications, with an understanding of CI/CD, containers and monitoring concepts.
- Responsible delivery and collaboration. Understanding of information security, data protection and responsible AI risks, and the ability to work in an agile, multidisciplinary team and communicate technical issues clearly

Desirable

- Microsoft AI stack. Experience with Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Foundry, Azure Machine Learning or related Azure AI services.
- AI engineering tools. Familiarity with frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Hugging Face, LangChain or LlamaIndex, and with vector databases or semantic search.
- Full-stack delivery. Exposure to Docker, CI/CD, REST APIs and frontend or low-code development such as JavaScript/TypeScript or Microsoft Power Apps.

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email [email protected]