EY launches Forward Deployed Engineer roles for AI

EY has launched Forward Deployed Engineer roles in the UK and Ireland to help clients move AI projects into production.

The firm is recruiting senior AI engineers to work directly within client delivery teams. Their remit includes designing, building, integrating and operationalising AI systems in live business environments, rather than limiting work to pilot projects or isolated proofs of concept.

Scaling challenge

The move comes as many large organisations continue to invest heavily in artificial intelligence but struggle to scale early experiments into broader operational use. The engineers will support end-to-end deployment on projects tied to areas such as operational transformation, insurance underwriting, claims handling, risk mapping and bank lending.

Examples include building a case-triage model for a public sector department and addressing performance bottlenecks in retail forecasting engines. By placing engineers inside client teams, EY aims to embed technical delivery more closely with day-to-day business processes and compliance requirements.

Research cited by EY points to a gap between reported adoption and actual readiness. Its findings show that 78% of UK organisations believe AI is either fully or mostly implemented across their organisation, while 49% believe their approach is insufficient for the challenges posed by autonomous AI.

That gap has become more pressing as companies test newer forms of AI that can act with greater autonomy. These systems may support wider use across a business, but they also raise operational, governance and regulatory questions that many organisations are still working through.

Engineering focus

Forward Deployed Engineers are intended to shorten the path from concept to production while embedding governance, regulatory compliance and risk controls from the outset. The structure reflects growing client demand for technical specialists who can work across business functions and engineering teams at the same time.

Preetham Peddanagari, Chief Technology Officer, EY UK & Ireland, outlined the reasoning behind the hires.

"Most 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, CEOs and investors are now demanding tangible returns on AI investment. The limiting factor is no longer ambition or initial funding; it is specialist AI engineering capability and the ability to execute at scale.

"EY's 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 silos and meets business, regulatory and risk protocols from day one," said Peddanagari.

Firmwide push

The announcement also underlines how professional services firms are adapting their consulting models around AI implementation. Rather than focusing only on strategy or technology selection, firms are increasingly positioning themselves around delivery, integration and oversight as clients seek measurable results from AI spending.

Within EY, the new roles form part of a broader push to deepen AI-related services. The firm has invested more than USD $1 billion through its EY.ai platform, covering research and development, recruitment and training across the organisation.

Its ecosystem also includes more than 100 strategic relationships and alliances supporting client AI projects. In FY25, global AI-related revenue rose 30%, driven by large-scale transformations and work on AI governance frameworks.

Sayeh Ghanbari, Consulting Managing Partner, EY UK & Ireland, said the recruitment drive also sits alongside internal efforts to build AI skills across the firm.

"AI is already embedded in how we work as a firm, and we continue to invest so our teams have the skills and deep technical knowledge needed to lead clients through a rapidly evolving era. These dedicated engineering roles are part of that firmwide commitment and reinforce our ability to support clients as they transform their businesses quickly, responsibly and with confidence in what comes next," said Ghanbari.