Backend Engineer (AI/Python)

Backend Engineer (AI/Python) Whitehall Resources currently require an experienced Backend Engineer (AI/Python) to work with a key client.**Please note this role requires Falls INSIDE IR35** We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Backend Engineer to join our growing technology team. This role will focus on designing, building, and maintaining secure, scalable, and high-performing backend services that support critical business applications and AI-enabled solutions. The successful candidate will play a key role in developing robust APIs, integrating enterprise systems, and delivering innovative solutions that leverage modern cloud technologies and Generative AI capabilities.As a Backend Engineer, you will collaborate closely with product managers, designers, data specialists, architects, and fellow engineers to transform business requirements into reliable and maintainable technical solutions. You will be expected to demonstrate strong engineering fundamentals, uphold software development best practices, and contribute to the continuous improvement of our technology landscape.Key Responsibilities Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain secure, scalable backend applications, services, and RESTful APIs primarily using Python. Deliver high-quality, production-ready software through modern engineering practices including version control, automated testing, peer code reviews, CI/CD pipelines, and technical documentation. Integrate backend services with enterprise platforms, data sources, and third-party APIs, ensuring effective authentication, authorization, resilience, and error handling. Build and support AI-enabled capabilities, including Large Language Model (LLM) integrations, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), prompt engineering workflows, and agent-based architectures. Implement AI governance practices including model evaluation, monitoring, guardrails, security controls, and human oversight to ensure responsible and reliable deployment of AI solutions. Investigate and resolve application defects, performance bottlenecks, and operational incidents using logs, metrics, tracing, and observability tools. Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to understand requirements, define technical approaches, and deliver successful outcomes. Participate in architecture and technical design discussions, providing estimates and recommendations to support project planning and delivery. Stay informed of emerging trends in software engineering, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, applying relevant innovations where appropriate. Contribute to the continuous improvement of development standards, processes, and engineering practices.Skills & Experience Required Strong commercial experience developing backend applications and services using Python. Proven experience building and maintaining RESTful APIs and distributed systems. Hands-on expertise with Python frameworks such as FastAPI, Flask, or Django. Experience using testing frameworks such as pytest and working with package/dependency management tools. Strong understanding of software engineering principles including clean code, object-oriented and/or functional programming, debugging, testing strategies, API design, and source control. Experience working with both relational and NoSQL databases, including data modelling and query optimisation. Practical experience implementing Generative AI solutions using LLM APIs and orchestration frameworks. Solid understanding of RAG architectures, embeddings, vector databases, prompt engineering, AI evaluation techniques, agent workflows, and AI safety controls. Experience with cloud platforms, containerisation technologies, and automated CI/CD deployment pipelines. Knowledge of secure software development practices, including secrets management, access control, dependency management, and data protection. Strong analytical thinking, troubleshooting capabilities, and problem-solving skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Desirable Skills Front-end development experience using React, TypeScript, JavaScript, and modern UI component libraries. Experience building full-stack applications or working closely with front-end teams to define API contracts and user experiences. Familiarity with observability and monitoring tools, including application logging, monitoring platforms, and distributed tracing solutions. Experience delivering solutions within regulated, enterprise-scale, financial services, or security-conscious environments. All of our opportunities require that applicants are eligible to work in the specified country/location, unless otherwise stated in the job description. Whitehall Resources are an equal opportunities employer who value a diverse and inclusive working environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other characteristics.