AI Researcher: Responsible ML & Prototyping for Defence

WeAreTechWomen; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Private healthcare

Pension plan

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Thales UK is seeking an AI Researcher in Reading (RG2 6GF) with a strong background in AI/ML to develop novel, trustworthy capabilities across defence, space and security domains. This hybrid role collaborates with AI engineers, data scientists and product teams to translate research into demonstrators and PoCs.

You will design experiments, evaluate models, report findings, and contribute to publications, patents and reusable research assets while ensuring responsible AI practices and

Qualifications

• Degree/Masters in a relevant Software/AI subject or equivalent experience.
• Strong Python and software engineering practices for research.
• Experience conducting AI/ML research in complex environments (defence, aviation, cyber, safety-critical).
• Proficiency with ML/DL algorithms and evaluation.
• Hands-on experience with AI frameworks: PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn; OpenCV for vision tasks.
• Experience with experiment tracking (MLflow, Weights & Biases).
• Data wrangling with Pandas/NumPy/SQL; Spark a plus.
• Knowledge of model deployment basics (ONNX, TorchScript).
• Strong technical writing and ability to communicate research results.

Responsibilities

• Conduct applied and experimental AI research to solve complex problems.
• Develop state-of-the-art AI/ML solutions and prototypes using real-world data.
• Design and evaluate advanced AI methods across multiple domains.
• Translate business needs into research questions and measurable criteria.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure trustworthy AI.
• Build reproducible research pipelines and maintain technical reporting.
• Contribute to publications, invention disclosures and reusable assets.

Skills

Python

AI/ML research

ML/DL algorithms

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Experiment tracking

Data wrangling (Pandas, NumPy, SQL)

ONNX / TorchScript

Responsible AI

Scientific writing

Communication

Education

Degree/Masters in AI/CS/Math/Engineering

Tools

OpenCV

Hugging Face Transformers

Job description

Thales UK is seeking an AI Researcher in Reading (RG2 6GF) with a strong background in AI/ML to develop novel, trustworthy capabilities across defence, space and security domains. This hybrid role collaborates with AI engineers, data scientists and product teams to translate research into demonstrators and PoCs.

You will design experiments, evaluate models, report findings, and contribute to publications, patents and reusable research assets while ensuring responsible AI practices and