What skills are essential for a Machine Learning Scientist?

Essential skills include strong programming abilities, a deep understanding of algorithms and data structures, and proficiency in statistical analysis and machine learning frameworks.

How important is a PhD for this role?

A PhD is highly valued but not always required. Many successful Machine Learning Scientists have a master's degree and extensive practical experience.

What are the typical industries that hire Machine Learning Scientists?

Common industries include tech, finance, healthcare, and academia. Scaleups and research-heavy startups are also significant employers.

What is the salary range for Machine Learning Scientists?

Salary ranges can vary widely based on experience, location, and industry. For more detailed information, refer to the salary section on this page.

Machine Learning Scientist Jobs

Experts who design, build, and optimise machine learning models to solve complex problems. A role that combines deep technical knowledge with a creative approach to data-driven solutions.

Open roles

Salary range

£50k – £120k

Hiring companies

View 6 live roles → Get an alert

Machine Learning Scientists are at the heart of the AI revolution, driving innovation through the development and deployment of advanced machine learning models. These roles are found in a variety of settings, from research-heavy startups to large tech companies and academic institutions. ML Scientists work on a wide range of projects, from developing cutting-edge algorithms to improving the efficiency and accuracy of existing models. They often collaborate with data engineers, software developers, and domain experts to bring their models to life and ensure they deliver real-world impact.

What the role does

Inside the role of a Machine Learning Scientist

A typical week for a Machine Learning Scientist is a mix of research, experimentation, and collaboration. They spend time coding, analysing data, and refining models.

01

Design and implement machine learning algorithms.
02

Analyse and preprocess large datasets.
03

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate models.
04

Conduct experiments and validate model performance.
05

Document findings and present results to stakeholders.
06

Stay updated with the latest research and techniques.

Salary on the board

£50k – £120k

Based on advertised midpoints across the 5 priced listings posted in the last 12 months. Base salary only.

By seniority

£k base

Mid

3 jobs

Senior

120

1 job

Lead

120

1 job

Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 1 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

Machine Learning

100%

Reinforcement Learning

100%

LLMs

100%

RLHF

100%

Symbolic Reasoning

100%

Agentic Architectures

100%

Biomedical Data

100%

Scientific Literature

100%

Target Discovery

100%

Disease Understanding

100%

Career ladder

From Junior to Principal

A typical UK progression for machine learning scientists. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.

Level 1

Junior Machine Learning Scientist

0–2 yrs

Assist in data preprocessing and model training, with guidance from senior team members.
Level 2

Machine Learning Scientist

2–5 yrs

Lead the development of machine learning models, from design to deployment, and contribute to research efforts.
Level 3

Senior Machine Learning Scientist

5–8 yrs

Oversee multiple projects, mentor junior scientists, and drive innovation in model development and optimisation.
Level 4

Principal Machine Learning Scientist

8+ yrs

Strategise and lead the overall direction of machine learning initiatives, influence company-wide AI strategy, and collaborate with external partners.

Pathway

How to become a Machine Learning Scientist

There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.

1

Academic Foundation

Gain a strong foundation in mathematics, statistics, and computer science through a relevant degree.
2

Practical Experience

Build practical skills through internships, personal projects, or contributions to open-source projects.
3

Specialisation

Focus on a specific area of machine learning, such as deep learning, reinforcement learning, or natural language processing.
4

Professional Development

Continue learning through advanced courses, certifications, and staying updated with the latest research.
5

Leadership Roles

Take on leadership responsibilities, mentor junior scientists, and drive strategic initiatives.
6

Industry Impact

Influence the broader industry through thought leadership, publications, and collaborations with leading institutions.

Live jobs

6 live roles

Machine Learning Scientist – Sequence Modelling

About RelationRelation is an end-to-end biotech company developing transformational medicines, with technology at our core. Our ambition is to understand human biology in unprecedented ways, discovering therapies to treat some of life’s most devastating diseases. We leverage single-cell multi-omics directly...

Relation Therapeutics London, United Kingdom

Permanent

Machine Learning Scientist – Reasoning Systems & RL (LLMs / Agents)

As a Machine Learning Scientist, you will develop advanced AI systems that help scientists reason about complex biological problems. You will focus on building LLM-driven reasoning systems and intelligent agents using reinforcement learning, RLHF, and symbolic reasoning, working closely with computational scientists and biologists to integrate large-scale biomedical data and support target discovery.

Relation Therapeutics London, United Kingdom £50,000 – £80,000 pa

On-site Permanent

Senior Machine Learning Data Scientist - Credit Risk

This role involves taking ownership of a proven, production-grade credit risk model and continuously refining and optimizing it. Responsibilities include feature engineering, algorithm selection, model validation, and translating technical outputs into commercial insights. The position offers high visibility and direct impact within a data-driven financial services environment.

Martin Veasey Talent Solutions Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom £80,000 – £120,000 pa

Hybrid Permanent

Research Scientist (Machine Learning), London

Isomorphic Labs is applying frontier AI to help unlock deeper scientific insights, faster breakthroughs, and life-changing medicines with an ambition to solve all disease.The future is coming. A future enabled and enriched by the incredible power of machine learning. A...

Isomorphic Labs London, United Kingdom

Research Scientist (Machine Learning), Lausanne

Isomorphic Labs United Kingdom

Snr/Principal Machine Learning Scientist – Generative Modelling

This role involves designing and implementing generative models to understand and control cellular decision-making, using cutting-edge multiomic and interventional datasets. You will collaborate with experimental teams to validate computational hypotheses and contribute to high-impact publications, pushing the boundaries of generative modelling in complex biological systems.

Relation Therapeutics London, United Kingdom £70,000 – £120,000 pa

On-site Permanent

Hiring locations

Where this role is hiring

The locations with the most live listings for this role today.

FAQs

Common questions

Essential skills include strong programming abilities, a deep understanding of algorithms and data structures, and proficiency in statistical analysis and machine learning frameworks.
A PhD is highly valued but not always required. Many successful Machine Learning Scientists have a master's degree and extensive practical experience.
Common industries include tech, finance, healthcare, and academia. Scaleups and research-heavy startups are also significant employers.
Salary ranges can vary widely based on experience, location, and industry. For more detailed information, refer to the salary section on this page.

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Machine Learning Scientist Jobs

Inside the role of a Machine Learning Scientist

£50k – £120k

What hiring managers ask for

From Junior to Principal

Junior Machine Learning Scientist