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ML Research Engineer Jobs

Experts who push the boundaries of machine learning through cutting-edge research and development. A role that combines deep theoretical knowledge with practical application.

Open roles
23
Salary range
£212k – £633k
Hiring companies
11
View 23 live roles → Get an alert

ML Research Engineers are at the forefront of advancing machine learning technologies. They work on developing new algorithms, improving existing models, and ensuring that these innovations can be effectively deployed in real-world applications. These roles are typically found in research-heavy startups, scaleups, and the larger consultancies, where the focus is on pushing the boundaries of what's possible with machine learning.

What the role does

Inside the role of an ML Research Engineer

A typical week is split between theoretical research, coding, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

  1. 01
    Conduct literature reviews to stay updated on the latest research.
  2. 02
    Design and implement new machine learning algorithms.
  3. 03
    Collaborate with data scientists and engineers to integrate models into products.
  4. 04
    Optimise and test models to improve performance.
  5. 05
    Document findings and contribute to research papers or internal reports.
  6. 06
    Attend meetings to discuss project progress and next steps.
Salary on the board

£212k – £633k

Based on advertised midpoints across the 8 UK listings priced in pounds in the last 12 months. Base salary only.

Salary visibility
6% of listings advertise a salary — up from 0% the year before.
By seniority
£k base
Mid
260
636
5 jobs
Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 26 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

Python
81%
Machine Learning
54%
PyTorch
46%
Deep Learning
23%
Kubernetes
23%
CI/CD
19%
Data Engineering
19%
JAX
19%
Reinforcement Learning
19%
AWS
15%
Data Pipelines
15%
Distributed Systems
15%
Career ladder

From Junior to Principal

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

  1. Level 1

    Junior ML Research Engineer

    0–2 yrs

    Assist in research projects, implement basic algorithms, and contribute to team discussions.

  2. Level 2

    ML Research Engineer

    2–5 yrs

    Lead specific research initiatives, design and implement complex models, and mentor junior team members.

  3. Level 3

    Senior ML Research Engineer

    5–8 yrs

    Oversee multiple research projects, drive innovation, and contribute to strategic decision-making.

  4. Level 4

    Principal ML Research Engineer

    8+ yrs

    Lead the research direction of the organisation, publish influential papers, and guide the development of new technologies.

Pathway

How to become a ML Research Engineer

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

  1. 1

    Academic Foundation

    Gain a strong foundation in mathematics, computer science, and machine learning through a relevant degree.

  2. 2

    Practical Experience

    Participate in internships or research assistant roles to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings.

  3. 3

    Specialisation

    Focus on a specific area of machine learning, such as deep learning or reinforcement learning, through advanced coursework or projects.

  4. 4

    Professional Development

    Join a research team in a startup, scaleup, or consultancy to work on cutting-edge projects and collaborate with industry experts.

  5. 5

    Leadership Roles

    Take on leadership responsibilities, such as managing research projects and mentoring junior engineers.

  6. 6

    Thought Leadership

    Become a recognised expert in the field, publishing influential research and contributing to the broader machine learning community.

Live jobs

23 live roles

See all 23 roles →

Research Engineer

As a Research Engineer at ElevenLabs, you will work on the cutting edge of audio AI, training and improving state-of-the-art models, and designing rigorous benchmarks to evaluate model performance. You will collaborate with a high-velocity, impact-driven team that values excellence and innovation.

ElevenLabs United Kingdom
Remote Permanent
Isomorphic Labs logo

Research Engineer (LLM Performance), London

This role involves advancing large language models for drug discovery by optimizing post-training methods, scaling frontier AI systems, and solving performance bottlenecks in distributed training and inference. The engineer will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to translate research into production-ready systems, applying low-precision techniques and performance optimization strategies to real-world drug design challenges. Work focuses on improving model efficiency and scalability within a mission-driven environment combining AI and computational biology.

Isomorphic Labs London, United Kingdom

Research Engineer - Inference

The role involves deploying and optimizing cutting-edge AI models for real-time inference, focusing on performance, reliability, and scalability. You'll work across the stack to improve latency, throughput, and cost efficiency, building high-performance serving systems and tooling that bridge research and production. The position emphasizes autonomous problem-solving and deep optimization in GPU and ML infrastructure environments.

ElevenLabs United Kingdom
Remote Permanent

Research Engineer, RL Scaling Science

This role involves designing and running large-scale reinforcement learning experiments to understand scaling effects across model size, compute, and task horizon. The engineer will build benchmarks for long-horizon RL, debug system-level issues at the research-infrastructure boundary, and translate validated findings into production training recipes. Work is highly collaborative with research and engineering teams, focusing on empirical science to advance steerable and safe AI systems.

Anthropic London, United Kingdom £375,000 – £640,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent

Research Engineer, Machine Learning (Reinforcement Learning)

This role involves collaborating with researchers and engineers to advance the capabilities and safety of large language models through reinforcement learning. Responsibilities include developing core RL infrastructure, designing novel training environments, and optimizing performance across the stack.

Anthropic London, United Kingdom £260,000 – £630,000 pa
On-site Permanent
Isomorphic Labs logo

ML Research Engineer, London

This role involves developing and optimizing cutting-edge AI models at the intersection of machine learning and drug discovery. You'll work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment to translate research into scalable, production-ready systems, focusing on foundational models like Transformers, GNNs, and Diffusion models. The position emphasizes innovation in computational biology and chemistry, with a strong focus on robust codebases, data pipelines, and full-cycle ML development.

Isomorphic Labs London, United Kingdom
On-site Permanent

Senior Research Engineer - Interactive Avatars

This role involves developing advanced AI models for interactive avatars, focusing on diffusion-based video generation conditioned on audio, motion, and user interaction. The engineer will work on real-time, long-form video synthesis, improving lip-sync and motion realism, and building evaluation systems to ensure high visual quality. The position bridges cutting-edge research and product deployment within a fast-moving AI video platform.

Synthesia London, United Kingdom
Remote Permanent

Principal Research Engineer

Lead the end-to-end technical direction of offline video generation for a leading AI video platform, driving large-scale generative model development from pre-training through post-training. Bridge research and product by solving cross-cutting technical challenges in training stability, data pipelines, and alignment. Coach engineers, shape team processes, and accelerate the deployment of state-of-the-art avatar video models at scale.

Synthesia London, United Kingdom
Remote Permanent
See all 23 roles →
Top hirers

Companies hiring ml research engineers

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Hiring locations

Where this role is hiring

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

London

Location
17 open

Manchester

Location
1 open

Cambridge

Location
1 open
FAQs

Common questions

  • A strong background in computer science, mathematics, or a related field is essential. Advanced degrees, such as a Master's or PhD, are often required for higher-level positions.

  • Key skills include proficiency in programming languages like Python, a deep understanding of machine learning algorithms, and the ability to conduct rigorous research and experimentation.

  • The typical progression starts with a junior role, advancing to a senior position, and eventually leading to principal or leadership roles within the organisation.

  • Common industries include tech, finance, healthcare, and academia. Research-heavy startups and scaleups are also significant employers.

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

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