AI/ML Lead Engineer

The world of work is changing forever - not just where it happens, but how and why. People want flexibility, meaning, and connection. At Kadence, we’re building the operating system for hybrid work, helping organisations coordinate people, places, and projects so everyone can do their best work, wherever they are.

Our mission is to help every organisation unlock the full potential of its people through smarter coordination of workplaces, schedules, and teams. From intelligent space management and real-time workplace analytics, to seamless team coordination, AI assistants, and meaningful workplace events, Kadence helps companies create environments where work flows and people thrive.

Backed by world class investors and trusted by over 500 organisations, Kadence is growing fast. With established teams in Belfast, London, and Salt Lake City, we’re just getting started. If you’re excited by mission-driven impact, big ideas, and helping define the future of work - join us.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Build & Ship ML‑powered features - Start with research prototypes, then collaborate with cross‑functional dev pods to turn them into production‑ready capabilities that delight users.
• Own the ML stack & direction - Define languages, frameworks, infra, and MLOps practices; the road is unpaved and you have free rein (with the CTO as sparring partner and advisor).
• Steer buy‑vs‑build calls - Evaluate third‑party APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Hugging Face, etc.) versus in‑house models; drive clear recommendations on cost, performance, and time‑to‑value.
• Drive commercial impact - Measure and iterate on ML‑powered adoption, upsell ARR, and feature satisfaction; treat models as products, not science projects.
• Build the AI Centre of Excellence - Hire, mentor, and inspire a small but high performing squad of 3–4 ML/AI engineers and MLOps specialists over the next 12 months.
• Champion data stewardship - Work with Product & Cloud Ops to leverage usage, booking, and sensor data while staying GDPR‑compliant as a data processor.
• Own the ML feedback loop - Partner monthly with CX, Sales, and Product to gather insights, explain model behaviour, and improve value messaging.
• Model a “nothing‑is‑impossible” mindset - Embrace experimentation and a high risk appetite, balanced with the discipline to converge when the CTO aligns company direction.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Proven track record shipping customer‑facing ML/AI features in production at scale.
• Deep hands‑on skills across model training, fine‑tuning, evaluation, and MLOps (CI/CD, feature stores, monitoring).
• Strong software engineering fundamentals (e.g., Python, Typescript/Node, or similar) and cloud experience (AWS preferred).
• Ability to set technical vision, yet roll up sleeves to code, debug, and deploy.
• Comfort navigating ambiguous, green‑field environments and influencing exec‑level decisions.
• Excellent communicator – can translate ML concepts for engineers, designers, and non‑technical stakeholders alike.
• Based in the UK with strong UK‑time‑zone overlap (ideally Northern Ireland). No visa sponsorship available.

NICE TO HAVES

• Experience in workplace‑tech, scheduling optimisation, or geospatial data.
• Publications, patents, or open‑source contributions in applied ML or LLMs.
• Familiarity with privacy‑preserving ML techniques (federated learning, differential privacy).

OUR TECH STACK

• Backend: PHP 8.2 / Symfony 7, REST, API Platform, NodeJS, Python, Rust.
• Frontend: TypeScript, Angular 19.
• Mobile: Android (Kotlin), iOS (Swift).
• Desktop: Cross platform desktop app built with Electron (TypeScript).
• Database: MySQL (Aurora DB), Redis (ElastiCache), MongoDB (AWS DocumentDB).
• Cloud & DevOps: AWS (20+ services), Kubernetes (EKS), Docker, Infrastructure as Code (CloudFormation, Terraform), CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions), Observability (AWS, Grafana), OpenAI in Azure.
• Development tools: GitHub, Jira, Notion, ChatGPT, Gemini, LangChain, AI-native IDE's (Cursor, JetBrains), LLM-powered internal tools.
• Test automation: Cypress (E2E), Postman (API), Jest (frontend unit), PHPUnit (backend unit), JUnit (Android), XCTest (iOS).

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

• A front-row seat in a fast scaling, early stage startup.
• Opportunity to define the ML/AI stack and ship novel features that touch millions of users.
• Hybrid working – collaborate from home or from our sleek Belfast city‑centre HQ with rooftop terrace, private coffee lounge, and regular wellbeing events.
• Regular company socials, including an annual off‑site where the whole team gets together in person.
• 5 weeks’ vacation per annum (plus public holidays) and a flexible work/life balance.
• Competitive salary and meaningful stock options.
• Private healthcare and company pension.
• Cycle2Work scheme.

HEAR FROM OUR CEO