> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/1914076-senior-technical-lead-nhs-ai-telephony-platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1914076-senior-technical-lead-nhs-ai-telephony-platform). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Senior Technical Lead NHS AI Telephony Platform - **Company:** Ladybird - **Location:** UK (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** £6,000.0 - £36,000.0 - **Contract:** Temporary contract - **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Confluence, JIRA, Audit Trail, Cloud Computing, Code Review, Codecs, Computer Telephony Integration, Continuous Integration, Digital Architecture, Data Processing, Genesys, Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, Large Language Models, IT Architecture, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Gitlab, SC Clearance, Cloudwatch, Api Gateway, Terraform, Google Meet - **Published:** August 4, 2026 - **Apply:** https://uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6c4ddee4a203cce8 ## About the Role * SIP signalling and troubleshooting * RTP media handling * NAT traversal * Codec negotiation * One-way audio issues * PBX failover and resilience strategies * Call surge behaviour and degradation handling Required Experience This role requires proven experience with live NHS or emergency telephony systems. You must have experience building, operating, or leading technical delivery for systems such as: * NHS 999 or 111 platforms * GP surgery telephony systems * NHS crisis or triage contact centres * Emergency services communications platforms * Healthcare call routing platforms where downtime has operational or clinical impact Candidates without direct NHS or emergency telephony experience will not be considered. Cloud Infrastructure Experience You do not need to build the AWS environment yourself, but you must be able to review architecture decisions and identify risks. You should understand: * AWS VPC architecture * EC2 deployments and availability zones * Security groups and networking * Lambda and API Gateway * CloudWatch monitoring and audit logging * Infrastructure-as-code reviews (Terraform) * CI/CD deployment risks * NHS data handling requirements Experience with NHS APIs, including FHIR-based integrations, is highly desirable. AI / LLM Technical Oversight The AI Engineer will be developing a fine-tuned LLaMA 3 8B model for the voice platform. You should be able to: * Review AI architecture and deployment decisions * Challenge synthetic dataset design and evaluation methods * Assess model readiness for production use * Understand latency, accuracy, confidence scoring, and fallback strategies * Identify risks associated with AI in NHS patient-facing workflows Hands-on model training experience is not required, but strong technical judgement is essential., You should have: * 5+ years of production engineering experience * Hands-on NHS, emergency, or healthcare telephony experience * Strong SIP/PBX knowledge * Experience with FreeSWITCH, Asterisk, or equivalent platforms * Experience leading technical delivery across multiple specialists * Experience managing delivery through Jira or similar tools * Understanding of regulated healthcare environments * Ability to communicate technical risks clearly to non-technical stakeholders Desirable Experience Strong candidates may also have: * Telecoms carrier or NHS network background * Experience modernising NHS GP telephony systems * Knowledge of platforms such as Surgery Connect, Avaya, or Genesys in NHS environments * NHS clinical safety or architecture review experience * Familiarity with NHS IG requirements * SC Clearance ## Description Payment process: Weekly worksheet submitted each Friday, reviewed by following Monday. Monthly invoice paid within 7 days. Location Remote (UK). Working pattern: Self-directed hours. Daily standup via Google Meet, 12:00 GMT/BST, Monday to Friday Tools: Jira, GitLab, Confluence About Ladybird Ladybird is a Manchester-based healthtech startup building AI-powered products for NHS GP practices. Our first product, inCall, is an AI-powered NHS receptionist designed to answer GP patient calls instantly, verify patient identity against NHS records, and intelligently route calls without requiring a human receptionist to answer first. We are currently building the Stage 1 proof of concept of a four-stage product roadmap. This first stage focuses on secure patient verification and call handling: * Patient calls a GP practice * AI receptionist answers immediately * Patient identity is verified against NHS records via FHIR APIs * Caller is securely returned to the appropriate queue Future stages will introduce AI triage, clinical routing, and fully autonomous call handling. This is a production-minded NHS platform, not a demo environment. Reliability, security, and operational resilience are fundamental. The Role We are looking for a Senior Technical Lead with direct experience operating NHS, emergency services, or healthcare-grade telephony platforms. You will own the technical delivery of the inCall proof of concept, overseeing specialist contractors across AI and cloud infrastructure. You will provide architecture leadership, technical assurance, delivery management, and act as the primary technical escalation point for Ladybird. This is a technical leadership and oversight role, not a hands-on engineering build position. You will be responsible for ensuring the platform is architecturally sound, production-ready, and aligned with the standards expected of an NHS-facing system. Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership * Own the overall technical architecture for the inCall POC * Review and challenge technical decisions across telephony, cloud, and AI workstreams * Identify technical risks before they become delivery or reliability issues * Maintain architecture documentation and technical decision records * Act as the senior technical point of contact for Ladybird Delivery Management * Manage Jira delivery across multiple specialist contractors * Define monthly milestones, deliverables, and acceptance criteria * Review contractor outputs and provide technical sign-off * Resolve blockers between engineering workstreams * Communicate delivery risks and recommendations to stakeholders Telephony Architecture Oversight You will oversee a platform built around: * 3CX telephony * SIP trunk connectivity * FreeSWITCH on AWS EC2 * NHS healthcare call workflows, Month 1 Architecture & Delivery Setup * Establish the overall POC architecture * Validate telephony infrastructure design * Review SIP trunk and FreeSWITCH deployment * Create and prioritise Jira delivery plans * Define acceptance criteria with contractors * Document architecture decisions Month 2 Delivery Oversight * Oversee telephony, AI, and cloud delivery * Review NHS data handling and audit logging approach * Assess AI model development progress * Resolve cross-team technical blockers * Approve monthly delivery outcomes Month 3 POC Completion * Lead the end-to-end POC demonstration * Review CTI integration and mock EMIS workflows * Produce a production migration roadmap * Sign off final technical documentation ## Related Videos - [Improving quality with Agentic AI with Rovo Dev and Xray](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2005-improving-quality-with-agentic-ai-with-rovo-dev-and-xray) - [Can You Touch the Internet? A Journey in Remote Touch With Edge Computing and Haptic Coding](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1463-can-you-touch-the-internet-a-journey-in-remote-touch-with-edge-computing-and-haptic-coding) - [WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Modern DevOps for IoT Devices and More](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1805-wearedevelopers-live-modern-devops-for-iot-devices-and-more) - [AI in High-Stakes Industries: Lessons Learned](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100253-ai-in-high-stakes-industries-lessons-learned) - [Are Code Reviews Worth It? Insights from 16 Years of Review Data](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1135-are-code-reviews-worth-it-insights-from-16-years-of-review-data) - [Building a Multi-Agent Orchestration Engine That Actually Follows the Rules](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100159-building-a-multi-agent-orchestration-engine-that-actually-follows-the-rules) ## Related Articles - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london) - [Best Companies to work for in London: Top 25 Companies in 2023](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/187-best-companies-to-work-for-in-london-top-25-companies-in-2023) - [Data Analyst Salary in the UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/278-data-analyst-salary-in-the-uk) - [IT Salaries in UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/288-it-salaries-in-uk) - [Frontend Developer Salary in The UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/233-frontend-developer-salary-in-the-uk) - [Fullstack Developer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/251-fullstack-developer-salary-uk)