AI Cloud Platform Engineer

Department overview: This role sits at the intersection of our Front Office AI Technology team and Technology Infrastructure. This role straddles both teams, operating as the delivery and implementation function for our central AI capacity within the broader Infrastructure department. The position is responsible for deploying and operationalising the Front Office AI Technology team’s requirements by working hands‑on with Technology Infrastructure to design, build, automate, and run AI‑ready cloud platforms in production. The Front Office AI Technology team is focused on enabling the responsible for development of AI capabilities within the investment environment. The team partners closely with Front Office stakeholders to identify, design, and develop AI-enabled solutions that enhance decision‑making, efficiency, and insight, while operating within the firm’s risk, control, and regulatory constraints. Our Technology Infrastructure team operates globally and is responsible for every aspect of the firm's hybrid platform. This ranges from our EUC/Office environments to Trading and Core service Co-Location Data Centres, and extends to Public Cloud, delivering top-tier technology services to a dynamic and demanding Trading organisation. In addition to meeting the round-the-clock operational demands of the platforms, we continuously evolve and transform our platforms to maintain a competitive edge that our business requires. We innovate to provide valuable solutions and leverage our skilled Technology teams to deliver against rapidly changing business requirements. Role overview: The AI and Public Cloud Engineer is a highly technical, hands‑on platform engineering role responsible for designing, building, automating and operating secure cloud and AI platform foundations across a hybrid environment. The role exists to accelerate public cloud based AI maturity while enabling enterprise and Front Office AI use cases through robust, well‑governed infrastructure. Working primarily across Microsoft Azure and later with AWS and GCP Gemini / VertexAI enablement, the role delivers secure by design platforms covering identity, networking, security, governance, automation, and cost control. The position focuses on the operational reality of AI services with supporting, integrating, and governing AI platforms and AI SaaS providers within a low risk tolerance, regulated environment. This role offers a compelling opportunity to operate at the intersection of AI innovation and institutional‑grade infrastructure, enabling next‑generation AI capabilities within the investment environment of a leading hedge fund. Experience required: Public Cloud Platform Engineering (Azure/AWS/GCP) • Deep hands-on experience engineering and operating Azure and/or AWS landing zones, including identity, networking, security baselines, governance and hybrid connectivity. • Working knowledge of GCP infrastructure sufficient to deploy, integrate, and operate Vertex AI / Gemini alongside existing cloud platforms. AI Platform Operations & Integration • Proven experience building, running, and supporting AI services across public cloud (Azure, AWS, GCP, etc.) and enterprise SaaS AI platforms (OpenAI Enterprise, Anthropic, etc.). • Strong understanding of AI operational patterns including API-based model access, availability, monitoring, and governance rather than model development or data science. Cloud Networking & Hybrid Connectivity • Hands-on experience designing and operating hybrid cloud connectivity (ExpressRoute / Direct Connect), including resilient routing, segmentation and private access patterns. • Strong practical knowledge of cloud network security, private endpoints, DNS integration, egress control and zero-trust networking principles. Identity, Access Management & Security • Deep experience implementing cloud IAM (Azure Entra ID, AWS IAM), RBAC, privileged access, MFA and workload identity patterns. • Practical application of security-by-design principles across cloud and AI platforms, including least privilege, auditability and controlled access to sensitive data. Infrastructure as Code & Automation • High proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Bicep, CloudFormation/CDK) to deliver repeatable, governed cloud platforms. • Strong scripting or development capability (Python, Bash, PowerShell) to automate platform operations, integrations, and CI/CD workflows. Governance, Compliance & Cost Management • Experience implementing cloud governance frameworks including policy enforcement, tagging standards, compliance automation and environment guardrails. • Practical experience managing cloud cost controls and consumption optimisation, particularly for AI and data-intensive workloads. • Hands-on experience applying data classification, DLP, and AI usage controls to protect sensitive data across cloud and SaaS AI services. • Working knowledge of enterprise AI security and governance standards aligned to regulated or low risk tolerance environments. Platform Support & Operational Excellence • Demonstrated experience supporting production cloud platforms, including incident response, resilience testing and operational improvement. • Ability to balance critical BAU support with ongoing platform engineering and transformation work in time‑sensitive environments. About you: The ideal candidate is a highly technical, hands-on platform engineer with demonstrable broad-range skills and deep experience in public cloud infrastructure and AI service delivery. You have a proven track record in problem-solving, balancing critical operational support with advanced engineering initiatives in fast-paced, demanding environments. You are passionate about emerging cloud and AI technologies, eager to build innovative solutions that enhance technology performance while naturally understanding the need for rapid delivery balanced against business risk and operational constraints. You appreciate the importance of security, governance, and cost discipline in enterprise cloud deployments, especially when enabling AI capabilities that require strong data protection and regulatory alignment. You have excellent communication and organizational skills, working effectively both independently and as part of cross-functional teams across Technology Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Application Development, and Front Office stakeholders. Your commitment to continuous improvement is evident in both learning from others and sharing knowledge to enhance team capability and platform maturity   BlueCrest is committed to providing an inclusive environment for its workforce. As an employer, we provide equal opportunities to all people regardless of their gender, marital or civil partnership status, race, religion or ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation or nationality.