EY is recruiting Forward Deployed Engineers\u00a0\u2013 senior AI\u00a0engineers\u00a0working directly with clients \u2013 to meet growing demand for end-to-end AI supportThe engineers will work within EY client teams to design, build, and operationalise AI across client engagementsThe new roles strengthen EY\u2019s ability to support organisations as they convert AI investment into enterprise-wide impact<\/p>\n
EY has launched Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) roles in the UK and Ireland to help clients\u00a0accelerate\u00a0priority AI use cases from experimentation into scaled, production-ready deployment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new team of FDEs – senior engineers who work directly inside client delivery teams – will design, build, integrate and operationalise AI solutions in live environments. Combining deep product design and engineering expertise with strong functional insight, the FDEs will help clients apply AI technology to high impact use cases such as operational transformation, insurance underwriting,\u00a0claims processes, risk mapping and bank lending.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other\u00a0specific\u00a0examples of this work include,\u00a0building a case\u2011triage model for a public sector department,\u00a0and resolving performance bottlenecks in retail forecasting engines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turning AI investment into scaled deployment\u00a0<\/p>\n
While organisations continue to invest heavily in AI, many are facing challenges in moving beyond the experimentation phase and are underprepared for the risks of newer,\u00a0autonomous AI models. EY research carried out last year found that 78% of UK organisations believe AI is either fully or mostly implemented across their organisation, yet\u00a0almost half (49%) believe their organisation’s approach is insufficient for the challenges posed by autonomous AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The EY FDE function is designed to close the gap between AI ambition and enterprise deployment. Working directly within client delivery teams, FDEs will help shorten the path from concept to production, while embedding governance, regulatory compliance and risk controls from the outset.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Preetham Peddanagari<\/a>,\u00a0Chief Technology Officer, EY UK & Ireland,\u00a0commented:\u00a0\u201cMost enterprises have proven that AI works in isolated use cases, but far fewer have deployed AI consistently across their core operations. With the emergence of agentic AI increasing both potential value and complexity,\u00a0CEOs\u00a0and investors are now\u00a0demanding tangible\u00a0returns on AI investment. The limiting factor is no longer the ambition or initial funding, it\u2019s the specialist AI engineering capabilities and ability to execute at scale.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEY\u2019s investment in a dedicated Forward Deployed AI Engineering capability will help clients move forward – delivering the hands-on technical acceleration and functional expertise needed for production-ready AI that cuts across domains and siloes and meets business, regulatory and risk protocols from day one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Sayeh Ghanbari<\/a>, Consulting Managing Partner EY UK & Ireland, added:\u00a0\u201cAI is already embedded in how we work as a firm, and we continue to invest so our teams have the skills,\u00a0and deep technical knowledge needed\u00a0to lead clients\u00a0our\u00a0through a rapidly evolving era. These dedicated engineering roles are\u00a0part\u00a0of that firmwide commitment\u00a0and reinforce our ability to support our\u00a0clients\u00a0to\u00a0transform their businesses\u00a0–\u00a0quickly, responsibly and with confidence in what comes next.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n EY.ai driving growth through global platform\u00a0<\/p>\n The launch of the FDE roles is the latest step in EY\u2019s ongoing investment in AI capabilities. The announcement\u00a0builds on\u00a0its\u00a0recent\u00a0selection for the inaugural\u00a0Frontier Firm AI Initiative<\/a>, hosted by the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard Business School in collaboration with Microsoft. The initiative brings together 14 organisations to study human-AI collaboration and turn research into practical guidance for leaders building \u201chuman-led, agent-operated\u201d Frontier Firms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n EY\u00a0has\u00a0also\u00a0invested more than $1bn in developing its AI capabilities through the EY.ai platform. This includes\u00a0investments in\u00a0research and development, talent acquisition and firmwide upskilling, supported by an ecosystem of more than 100 strategic relationships and\u00a0alliances that help bring clients the technology needed to transform at speed and scale. In FY25,\u00a0the firm\u2019s global\u00a0AI related revenue grew by 30%,<\/a>\u00a0driven by enterprise-wide transformations and the delivery of AI governance frameworks that support the safe and responsible adoption of AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n