Senior Data / AI Engineer (Python, Docker, AWS, LLMs) - 9-month contract

We are looking for a Senior Data / AI Engineer to lead the development of advanced AI capabilities within a centralised financial data platform. This role sits at the intersection of data engineering and machine learning, focusing on building intelligent, AI-powered systems that transform complex financial data into actionable insights.

You will work within an AWS-based environment to design scalable pipelines and implement cutting-edge LLM-driven solutions, enabling users to query and interact with both structured and unstructured data in intuitive ways.

Responsibilities

• Design and build robust Python pipelines to ingest, clean, transform, and chunk structured and unstructured data for vector embedding and storage
• Architect and manage cloud-native solutions using AWS services such as Bedrock, SageMaker, OpenSearch, S3, and Glue to support AI/ML workloads
• Develop, containerise, and deploy AI services using Docker, ensuring scalability, portability, and reproducibility
• Design and implement Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures to power intelligent search, summarisation, and question-answering capabilities
• Partner with Principal Data Engineers, Frontend Developers, and other stakeholders to integrate AI-driven features into the core platform
• Monitor, evaluate, and optimise LLM usage, focusing on performance, latency, scalability, and cost-efficiency

Do you have experience in TypeScript?, Do you have a Master's degree?, * Expert-level proficiency in Python for data engineering and backend development

• Hands-on experience building applications with large language models (e.g., GPT, Llama, Anthropic) and orchestration frameworks such as LangChain or LlamaIndex
• Strong experience with AWS services, particularly those supporting AI/ML and data pipelines (e.g., Bedrock, SageMaker, Glue, S3)
• Practical experience implementing and managing vector stores (e.g., OpenSearch, Pinecone, Weaviate, or pgvector) for semantic search
• Proven experience containerising applications for deployment in scalable environments

Nice to have

• Experience building ETL/ELT pipelines for machine learning workflows
• Familiarity with complex financial data domains, including discounting data (e.g., BroCalc), DSO, Energy & Commodities (FACTS), and cash/credit product data
• Basic understanding of frontend integration, particularly how AI APIs connect with modern frameworks such as Next.js and TypeScript
• Experience with workflow orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow

Pulled from the full job description

• Referral programme
• Company pension
• Private medical insurance
• Cycle to work scheme, * Private Healthcare Package
• Pension
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced Maternity policy
• Group Life Protection Benefit
• Give as You Earn
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Referral Bonus Scheme
• Diversity Networks
• Access to a range of skills and certifications

First Derivative is driven by people, data, and technology, unlocking the value of insight, hindsight, and foresight to drive organizations forward. Counting many of the world's leading investment banks as clients, we help our clients navigate the data-driven, digital revolution that is transforming the financial services sector. Our global teams span across 15 offices serving clients across EMEA, North America and APAC. As an EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) company, a leading global provider of digital platform engineering and development services, we deliver advanced financial services solutions by empowering operational insights, driving innovation, and enabling more effective risk management in an increasingly data-centric world. Together with EPAM, we combine deep industry expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients stay ahead in a rapidly evolving financial landscape, offering comprehensive solutions that drive business transformation and sustainable growth.