AI Engineer / AI Lead – Insurance – London (Contract) * London - Hybrid * 12-month contract We're looking for an AI Lead on contract to help a long-established London specialty insurer bring AI into the business from scratch. It's a blank page. They know they want AI, and now they need someone who can work out where to start, build it, and get it live. You'll work closely with the senior team, and you'll own the work from the first idea through to something running in production. What you'll be doing: * Working with the business to find and prioritise the first AI use cases, for example, handling broker submissions, document processing, claims and partner data * Shaping a simple, practical plan and the foundations it needs (data, tooling, governance) * Building and delivering the first solutions, using LLMs and proven cloud AI services * Making sure it's safe and well governed, with the right testing, guardrails, and oversight for a regulated insurer * Explaining what you're doing to senior people in plain English, and helping the in-house team take it over What we're looking for: * Real experience taking AI or GenAI from idea to production, not just demos * Hands-on with LLMs, RAG and agent-style solutions, plus Python and a major cloud platform (Azure, AWS or GCP) * Insurance knowledge, such as underwriting, claims, MGAs, delegated authority or the London Market * Understanding of responsible AI, data quality and working in a regulated business * Confident communicator who can work with business and technical people alike * Experience working with unstructured documents such as submissions, policy wordings or claims files * Experience with PRA/FCA or GDPR requirements * Previous work as a first or lead AI hire