Build AI that ships. Work alongside clients. Grow fast.
Fifty One Degrees embeds senior engineers in client teams to ship production AI, no advisory reports, working software from week one.
What does working at Fifty One Degrees actually look like?
You’ll be embedded in a client team from your first week, working on live problems across sectors including financial services, retail, property, and professional services. Projects typically start as a proof of concept (2–4 weeks), expand into a beta, and ship to production, and you’ll be involved across the full arc.
The current stack is Python and TypeScript. You’ll work with modern AI coding tools, build AI agents and data pipelines, and handle the full engineering lifecycle from architecture to deployment. No internal tools, no prototypes that never land anywhere.
Small teams, real ownership, a culture that ships
At Fifty One Degrees we follow Ship. Learn. Iterate., a short-cycle delivery culture that keeps teams moving and outcomes visible. Teams are small and agile. There is no layer of middle management between you and the client, or between you and the founders.
Nick Harding (CEO, ex-Fluro) and Mark Somers (CPO, ex-4most, PhD Astrophysics) are actively involved in projects and coaching. You’ll get direct access to both from the start.
We support hybrid and remote working, with in-person sessions to strengthen team connections and spark collaboration. We also offer structured ramp-up and mentoring for anyone returning to the industry after a break.
Who are we hiring right now?
We keep our team lean and intentional. Current open roles are listed below. Expand each one for the detail and how to apply.
Senior AI EngineerLead delivery · client-facing
You lead technical delivery on our most complex builds, embedded inside a client team from week one. You own the architecture for agentic systems, data pipelines and integrations, ship them to production, and set the engineering bar for everyone around you.
- Lead a build end to end: architecture, implementation, deployment and handover.
- Design production AI systems, agents, retrieval, evaluation and the data plumbing underneath them.
- Work directly with client engineering teams, and with Nick and Mark, with no layer in between.
- Mentor AI and graduate engineers, and raise the standard of what the team ships.
- Around 5+ years shipping production software, with real ownership of systems in the wild.
- Strong Python and TypeScript, and sound judgement on when to reach for which.
- Hands-on with LLMs and agents, plus cloud, data pipelines and good testing discipline.
- Comfortable client-facing, communicating clearly and working at pace.
To apply, email people@51d.co with a short note about yourself and a CV or portfolio.
AI EngineerHands-on · end-to-end
You build and ship across AI agents, data pipelines and client-facing systems, owning features end to end and contributing to both internal and client decisions. This is a hands-on delivery role on live problems, not a research seat.
- Take features from idea to production, then iterate on real usage.
- Build AI agents and integrations against clients’ own data and systems.
- Contribute to architecture and technical decisions in client standups.
- Keep quality high with testing, monitoring and sensible guardrails.
- Around 2+ years of production engineering experience.
- Solid Python and/or TypeScript.
- Genuine curiosity about applied AI and a bias to ship.
- A clear communicator who is comfortable in front of clients.
To apply, email people@51d.co with a short note about yourself and a CV or portfolio.
Graduate AI EngineerGraduate · Python-first
For recent graduates and final-year placement students. You join real client projects from week one, Python-first, with exposure to data engineering and agent development from the start, and mentorship directly from the founders. See the Graduate Programme section below for the full picture.
- Work on the same live client projects as the rest of the team, in a real engineering role.
- Build AI agents and data pipelines, learning the full lifecycle by shipping.
- Pair with senior engineers and get coaching from Nick and Mark.
- Grow fast through workshops, peer coaching and structured mentorship.
- A strong grounding in computer science, maths or a related STEM subject.
- Working knowledge of Python and an appetite to learn quickly.
- The legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.
- Curiosity, initiative and a genuine interest in building with AI.
To apply, email people@51d.co with a short note about yourself and a CV or portfolio.
Data ScientistModels that ship
You build and validate predictive models on clients’ own data, then ship them into the workflow where the decision actually happens. Lead scoring, churn, forecasting, pricing and segmentation, deployed and monitored, not left in a notebook.
- Frame the business decision, then turn it into a prediction worth making.
- Engineer features, build and honestly validate models, and guard against leakage.
- Deploy models into client systems with monitoring, drift detection and retraining.
- Explain results plainly, including to non-technical stakeholders and, where needed, regulators.
- Strong applied statistics and machine learning, with production experience.
- Fluent Python and the modern data-science stack.
- Honest validation habits and a focus on impact over novelty.
- The ability to explain a model and defend a number.
To apply, email people@51d.co with a short note about yourself and a CV or portfolio.
No role listed for you? We hire opportunistically for strong candidates. Email people@51d.co with a short note about what you do and what you’re looking for.
The Graduate Programme: real work, fast growth, founder mentorship
The Graduate Programme at Fifty One Degrees is not a rotation scheme or a support function. Graduates work on the same client projects as the rest of the team, in the same roles, with the same accountability.
Roles in Software Engineering, Data Engineering, and Data Science. You’ll work on projects that blend AI implementation, data architecture, and analytics, building towards production deployment rather than academic exercises.
Structured mentorship from Nick and Mark runs throughout the programme, alongside peer coaching from the senior team, access to client projects from week one, workshops, and industry networking. The training is practical: you’ll learn by shipping.
Fifty One Degrees offers full-time post-graduate roles and sandwich-year placements for students seeking industry experience alongside their degree. We accommodate both, and we’re flexible on start dates.
You’ll need the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.
- 1Cultural interview — a conversation about values, your goals, and how you like to work
- 2Coding exam — a technical assessment in software engineering or data science
- 3Technical interview — an in-depth discussion of your approach and problem-solving
To start the process, email people@51d.co with a short note about yourself and the role you’re interested in.
Ready to apply?
Email people@51d.co with a short note about what you’re looking for. We respond to every application.
Questions candidates usually ask about working at Fifty One Degrees
Do I need prior AI consultancy experience to join Fifty One Degrees?
No. Fifty One Degrees hires for strong engineering foundations and intellectual curiosity, not sector-specific consulting experience. Most of what you’ll do is best learned on live projects. What matters is that you can write good software, communicate clearly with clients, and are comfortable working at pace.
What does the interview process look like for experienced roles?
Typically: a short initial call to discuss the role and your background, a technical exercise relevant to the role (take-home or live, depending on the position), and a final conversation with the founders. Most processes complete within two weeks.
Where is the team based?
Fifty One Degrees has offices in London and New York. Most of the team works hybrid, with in-person collaboration when it adds value. Remote working is fully supported and common.
Does Fifty One Degrees support flexible or part-time working?
Yes. Fifty One Degrees supports part-time, hybrid, and remote arrangements. We also provide structured ramp-up and mentoring for people returning after a career break.
Can I apply if there isn’t a role currently listed that fits?
Yes. Email people@51d.co with a short note about what you do and what you’re looking for. We hire opportunistically for strong candidates and keep speculative applications on file.
How does the Graduate Programme differ from a standard graduate scheme?
Fifty One Degrees’ Graduate Programme places graduates on live client projects rather than in a structured rotation. You’ll work in a real engineering role with real client accountability from the start, and receive mentorship directly from the founders. There is no separate graduate "cohort": you join the team.