Forward Deployed Engineer - Contract

Morela is supporting a fast-growing AI start-up in hiring multiple Forward Deployed Engineers to work directly with customers, embedding into their environments to design, build and deploy high-impact AI solutions.

This is not a back-office engineering role. You will be on the front line, translating ambiguous business problems into working AI systems, often under real-world constraints and with limited runway for iteration.

If you are more comfortable shipping solutions with clients than sitting behind internal tickets, this is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

Work directly with clients to understand their business challenges and translate them into scalable, working technical solutions
Design and deploy AI and ML systems in production customer environments
Rapidly prototype, iterate and refine solutions based on real user feedback in real time
Integrate AI models into existing client infrastructure and workflows
Act as a trusted technical partner to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Troubleshoot and resolve issues in live environments under pressure
Bridge the gap between product, engineering and customer teams, keeping all parties aligned and delivery moving

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Core requirements:

Strong, hands-on experience building and deploying AI and ML solutions in production, not just prototypes
Proven background in a consultancy, client-facing or customer-embedded technical role
Ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-moving environments with minimal guidance and maximum ownership
Excellent communication skills, equally comfortable with engineers and senior non-technical stakeholders
Track record of owning delivery end-to-end: scoping through deployment through iteration
Technical experience:

Solid Python programming skills, production standard
Hands-on experience with modern AI stacks: LLMs, NLP, computer vision or similar
Familiarity with model deployment: APIs, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), containerisation
Experience integrating AI into real-world systems, not just building models in isolation
Strong understanding of data pipelines and system design
Ideal candidate profile:

Has worked as a Forward Deployed Engineer, Solutions Engineer or AI Consultant previously
Equally comfortable writing production code and leading client conversations, often in the same hour
Pragmatic builder, focused on delivering value, not over-engineering
Confident enough to push back on clients when needed and guide them toward the right solution
Thrives in high-impact, high-visibility environments where the work matters

REALITY CHECK

This role is not for someone who needs tightly defined requirements before they can start. It is not for someone who prefers purely internal engineering work, or who lacks confidence in a client-facing environment.

WORKING SETUP

London-based with 2-3 days per week on-site with clients
Remaining time remote
Outside IR35 — £750 per day
Multiple openings — contract length to be confirmed

About Morela

Morela is one of the first dedicated recruitment practices globally specialising exclusively in Forward Deployed Engineers and high-calibre AI technical talent. We understand this space at a level most agencies simply do not — we know what a genuinely exceptional FDE looks like, where they are, and what it takes to get them to move. We place on both a permanent and contract basis across the UK, Europe and the US.

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