Job Band
Senior Data Scientist - Computer Vision
Job number 18623)
Salary range: Up to £78,800 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
Contract type: permanent contract
Location: London or Salford based
Our comprehensive benefits package includes:
• An employer pension contribution of up to 10%
• 26 days’ annual leave (based on full time hours) + bank holidays and the option to buy/sell additional days
• Contributory lifestyle benefit options including discounts at hundreds of retailers, cycle to work scheme, discounted gym memberships and healthcare schemes
• Employee assistance and well-being programmes
• Learning and development tailored to your role – this could include industry recognised qualifications, coaching and mentoring
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join staff networks including: Women’s Network, National Disability Networks and many more.
Family friendly flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working, job sharing, flexitime and compressed hours can be requested.
We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and especially welcome individuals from underrepresented groups.
If you require any reasonable adjustments at any time, please let us know by contacting us on k with the job reference in the subject.
Introduction
BBC R&D’s AI Research Applied Area is focused on the use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence across the BBC. AI Research collaborates closely with other R&D Applied Research Areas, BBC Product and Technology teams, and senior stakeholders to drive innovation through ML-based solutions.
Reporting to the Computer Vision Lead, the Senior Data Scientist will join a team of machine learning researchers focusing on computer vision.
As a Senior Data Scientist, you will play a critical role in advancing the use of AI and machine learning within the BBC. This is a hands-on role that requires deep technical expertise and innovative thinking. You will contribute directly to the development and implementation of machine learning models, pushing the boundaries of what is possible with AI.
Interview process
Interview process
• HackerRank test for initial screening
• Machine Learning system design interview
• Presentation and discussion on selected paper
• BBC culture fit and values alignment interview
Key Responsibilities
• Contribute technical expertise to projects focused on computer vision.
• Design, develop, and deploy machine learning models and algorithms tailored to BBC’s needs.
• Conduct comprehensive evaluation and validation of models, focusing on accuracy, robustness, scalability, and efficiency.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including other research areas and product group, to integrate ML solutions into BBC services.
• Stay up to date with the latest advancements in AI and machine learning and apply this knowledge to drive innovation.
• Conduct cutting-edge research and publish findings in top-tier journals and conferences.
Are you the right candidate
• Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Familiarity with cutting-edge computer vision models (e.g., ViT, diffusion models, vision foundation models).
• Proficiency with machine learning frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Scikit- Learn.
• Excellent programming skills in Python and familiarity with software development best practices.
• Experience in designing experiments, building training frameworks, and defining metrics to evaluate model performance.
• Knowledge of cloud computing deployment, data provisioning, storage/versioning, and a modern MLOps skillset.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a scientific mindset, capable of independently conducting research and development.
• Experience in applying machine learning to solve real-world problems outside an academic setting, with the ability to understand and translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Excellent communication skills for effectively conveying technical concepts to diverse audiences.
About the BBC
The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC for different reasons and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.
We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours here.
Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.
We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles, unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.
