Role: Machine Learning Engineer
Location: Cheltenham
Salary: £90,000
Clearance Required: eDV
One of our key clients within the UK defence sector is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer to support the expansion of their applied AI and data science capability. Working on mission-critical systems where performance, reliability, and interpretability are essential. You will contribute to the development of advanced machine learning models that support a broad spectrum of defence applications, including real-time object detection, multi-sensor data fusion, anomaly detection in complex systems, and predictive analytics for operational readiness.
The role sits within a multidisciplinary engineering team, collaborating closely with software developers, data scientists, and subject matter experts to design, train, validate, and deploy ML solutions on secure, often resource-constrained platforms. A deep understanding of ML pipelines, data preprocessing, model optimisation, and deployment into production.
Key Responsibilities:
Designing and implementing robust ML models suited to real-time or mission-critical defence environments Processing and analysing complex datasets, including geospatial, signals, or operational intelligence data Collaborating closely with software engineers, data scientists, and defence stakeholders to ensure scalable and secure system integration Conducting rigorous testing, validation, and documentation of all ML models in line with regulatory and operational standards Staying current with emerging AI/ML techniques and assessing their applicability to defence applications
Essential Skills & Experience:
Strong background in machine learning, data science, or AI, with a degree in a related field Solid programming skills in Python and proficiency with libraries such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, Demonstrated ability to build and optimise ML pipelines from prototype to deployment Understanding of algorithm performance in constrained or sensitive environments
Desirable:
Prior experience within the defence, aerospace, or national security sectors Familiarity with computer vision, signal processing, or natural language processing Exposure to MLOps, edge computing, or synthetic data generation Knowledge of government or MOD procurement and technical frameworks is an advantage
If you are interested in the above position, please contact me, James Chapman on or email me at (even if you don't have a CV yet, I'd like to speak with you!)
