The structure of an AI company in 2025 looked nothing like the structure of a traditional tech business. It’s leaner, more specialised, and built around rapid experimentation. Where conventional teams scaled horizontally, AI companies scale around capability, data flow and model ownership.

But with that structure comes a challenge:
every layer requires niche talent that’s almost impossible to hire at speed.

That’s where specialist partners, like Tides Digital, fit perfectly.

Below is a breakdown of what a high-performing AI organisation actually looks like today, and why the right talent partner is now essential, not optional.

1. The core AI/ML engineering layer

This is where the product is shaped. Typically includes:

• ML Engineers

• Senior AI/LLM Engineers

• Research Engineers

• MLOps Engineers

• Data Engineers

These teams own:

• Model training

• Infrastructure

• Deployment pipelines

• Experimentation cycles

• Evaluation and iteration

The challenge:
These roles require deep technical nuance and often cross both engineering AND research skill sets. They are the hardest hires for founders to make alone.

Where Tides fits:
We understand how to differentiate between model builders, platform engineers, and experimentation-heavy roles, and we reach talent who won’t respond to generic inbound outreach. These hires demand credibility, technical fluency, and correct targeting. That’s the Tides advantage.

2. The data foundation layer

AI companies live or die by the quality of their data. This layer includes:

• Data Scientists

• Data Engineers

• Analytics Engineers

• Data Annotation Ops

• Evaluation teams

The challenge:
Most AI companies underestimate how many data-focussed roles they need. Scaling data infrastructure takes time, and it often grows faster than the ML function.

Where Tides fits:
We help companies build these teams early, not reactively. We source talent with real experience in building datasets, managing pipelines, and optimising data for ML performance, not just “SQL and dashboards.”

3. The product & applied research layer

Modern AI companies are product-led, meaning they must translate model capability into commercial value. Typical roles include:

• Product Managers (AI / Applied ML)

• Conversational Designers (Voice AI)

• UX for AI features

• AI Safety & Alignment roles

• Evaluation & Quality teams

The challenge:
These roles require hybrid profiles, half technical, half product. Traditional recruiters struggle to define or locate them.

Where Tides fits:
We specialise in hybrid roles. We know how to position these jobs to candidates who care about ownership, clarity, and the opportunity to shape something new.

4. The engineering backbone

AI companies still need classic engineering excellence:

• Backend Engineers

• Platform Engineers

• Infra/SRE

• Full-Stack Engineers

• DevOps

The challenge:
Competition here is brutal. AI companies are competing with fintech, SaaS, enterprise and every other sector for the same engineers.

Where Tides fits:
Our network spans deep technical specialists across Europe and the UK, and we know exactly where niche engineering talent sits, how to engage them, and what they move for.

5. Leadership & GTM enablement

Finally, AI companies need senior leadership to scale:

• Head of Engineering

• Head of AI

• CTO

• VP Product

• VP Data

• Technical Program Managers

The challenge:
Leadership candidates are selective, high-touch, and require strong narrative alignment before they engage.

Where Tides fits:
We support founders with story shaping, technical positioning, and targeted leadership searches that bring credibility to early-stage teams.

Why an agency like Tides complements this structure perfectly

Because AI hiring isn’t about volume, it’s about precision.

Here’s what AI companies get wrong when they try to hire alone:

❌ Generic job descriptions
❌ Slow processes
❌ Not enough outbound search
❌ Lack of technical narrative
❌ No clarity on ownership or impact
❌ Salary parity issues
❌ Poor candidate experience

And here’s how Tides solves that:

✔ Deep AI & engineering expertise
✔ Fast, targeted outbound search
✔ Candidate persuasion built on actual technical understanding
✔ Interview process design to protect pace
✔ Salary benchmarking and parity guidance
✔ Story-first outreach that converts senior engineers
✔ End-to-end talent campaign strategy

AI companies that partner with Tides don’t just hire faster, they hire teams that can actually ship AI products.

Final Word

An AI company’s structure is unique. Its talent challenges are even more unique.

But when your recruitment partner understands the architecture of an AI organisation, and the motivations of the people who build them, hiring becomes a competitive advantage.

If you’d like a breakdown of how your AI team should scale over the next 12 months, we’d be happy to map it out.