Lead Software Developer - AI

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Job Details

• Sector: Technology
• Role: Manager
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Hours: Full time, 37.5 per week, Monday - Friday.
• Location: Hybrid remote working, with 3 days a week in our VHQ, Crawley based on operational requirements.
• Closing Date: 18th April

At Virgin Atlantic Airways, we believe that everyone can take on the world, and it's our vision to become the most loved travel company. As the Lead Software Developer - AI, you will play a critical role in designing, implementing, and leading the development of AI-powered solutions that drive the next generation of digital products. You will work closely with the Senior Manager of Software Engineering - AI to develop, test, and deploy scalable, secure, and observable AI solutions, directly contributing to the company's CX vision. In addition to hands-on development, you will provide leadership to other software engineers through code reviews, setting coding standards, and guiding solution architecture. Your expertise in programming languages like Python and JavaScript, alongside experience with AI prototypes using platforms such as OpenAI and Databricks, will be essential.

Some of your key responsibilities will be:

• Lead the development and implementation of AI models and solutions in alignment with product and business needs.
• Ensure AI technologies are scalable, robust, and secure, supporting the long-term goals of the organisation.
• Build and test AI prototypes on platforms such as OpenAI and Anthropic to explore new opportunities and product features.
• Apply expertise in multi-agent architectures and model evaluation to improve the effectiveness of AI models.
• Provide leadership to other software developers through code reviews, setting coding standards, and maintaining high-quality software development practices.
• Mentor software engineers and guide them through technical challenges, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of AI into digital products, enhancing customer experiences.
• Design and guide solutions architecture for AI-driven applications, ensuring scalability, security, and performance.
• Work closely with the Senior Manager Software Engineering - AI to align technical direction with business strategy and product goals.
• Take full ownership of AI projects, working across multiple tasks while ensuring high standards of delivery.
• Be proactive in identifying new opportunities to leverage AI for business and customer value.

The skills and experience we are looking for you to bring are:

• Proven experience in software development, with a focus on AI or machine learning projects.
• Proficient in Python and JavaScript, with hands-on experience in AI development, including building prototypes using platforms like OpenAI and Anthropic.
• Strong understanding of AI technologies, including Generative AI, multi-agent architectures, model evaluation, and natural language processing.
• Experience leading other developers in code reviews, setting coding standards, and ensuring quality software development practices.
• Ability to design and guide solutions architecture for scalable, secure, and robust AI-driven applications.
• Experience in collaborating with product teams to integrate AI solutions into digital experiences.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical details to non-technical stakeholders and guide junior engineers.
• A passion for working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, with a proactive approach to problem-solving and learning.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That's why we're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive.

Company

Richard Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984 with the intention of shaking up the aviation industry. Since then, we’ve grown from a small team, one 747 plane and a single route, to a global network that employs thousands of wonderful people worldwide.

We’re not just your average airline. We’re a family-centric one who recognises togetherness as a hugely important aspect of life. We support and care about our employees and their families, which makes Virgin Atlantic a special place to work and the long-haul airline our customers fall in love with.