Data Scientists

Fusion Energy Base; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 58,338 - 71,302; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 7%

Pension with 21.5% employer contrib

25 days annual leave

Site closure during Christmas

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is seeking an Enterprise AI Specialist to advance AI/ML in fusion research. You will work within the AI/ML team on secure HPC-enabled data solutions, collaborating with international partners and industry to push AI-enabled fusion forward.

You will influence research directions, publish impactful findings, and represent UKAEA in the fusion AI community, with significant autonomy and a strong emphasis on onsite collaboration.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent with post-doctoral/professional AI/ML experience in fusion
• International recognition in AI for fusion or transferable research
• Proven publishing track in AI for fusion or related field
• Experience with at least one compiled language (C++, Fortran, C, Rust) or scripting (Python, Julia, R)
• Strong UNIX command-line experience
• Ability to work in a diverse team and take responsibility
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Onsite work with regular presence 3–5 days per week

Responsibilities

• Develop enterprise AI solutions (MS-Copilot, Google Gemini Enterprise)
• Deploy Open-source LLMs and manage privacy/regulatory requirements
• Lead AI/ML research directions and publish results
• Collaborate across AI, HPC, and engineering teams
• Port AI/ML models to control hardware and FPGA platforms
• Support data engineering and knowledge graph initiatives

Skills

Python

C++

UNIX

AI/ML

English proficiency

Team collaboration

Education

PhD in computational/scientific field

Tools

FreeCAD

OpenSCAD

Blender

Gmsh

Ansys

Job description

Data Scientists

Overview of ResponsibilitiesAbout us Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

About the Job

The Data Solutions Unit within UKAEA’s Computing Division delivers innovative research, development, and specialist support across data engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, FAIR data architectures, high-performance computing, and advanced digital technologies. Working at the forefront of fusion research, the team develops secure, scalable data solutions that enable scientists and engineers to optimise their work, accelerate discovery, and support the development of future fusion technologies through collaboration with academia, industry, and partners across UKAEA.

This is an opportunity to shape the future application of artificial intelligence in fusion research, working at the intersection of AI, HPC, and scientific discovery. As part of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning team, you will provide research expertise in the application of AI/ML to complex fusion challenges. You will contribute to research programmes as part of a team of UKAEA and international collaborators, to develop innovative solutions using advanced computing environments, including High-Performance Computing (HPC). With significant autonomy, you will influence research directions, develop new opportunities, publish impactful research, and represent UKAEA as a leading voice in AI-enabled fusion research.

What you’ll be Doing

Enterprise AI Specialist

• Corporate AI solutions (MS-Copilot, Google Gemini Enterprise)
• Data privacy/protection rules and UK government regulations (Export Control, regional Cloud deployment, data sovereignty)
• Open-source LLM deployment (Ollama, vLLM, Open WebUI)
• Large LLM deployment on parallel GPU architectures
• Advanced LLM applications (AI-assisted coding, LLM integration in engineering products)
• Knowledge Graphs (Neo4j, GraphRAGs)

Advanced Control Specialist

• AI control methods (Reinforcement Learning, supervised learning, preference optimisation)
• Applied control systems (Robotics, experimental control systems)
• Portability of AI/ML models onto control hardware (real-time workflows, compiled models, FPGA porting)

AI and HPC Specialist

• Optimisation of AI workflows on parallel GPU architectures
• Porting of AI workflows on specialised hardware (Nvidia GH200, AMD Mi300x, Google TPUs, AWS)
• Large-scale deployment on Cloud Compute architectures

AI for Engineering applications Specialist

• Application of AI to Digital Engineering workflows.
• Open-source CAD software (FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, LibreCAD)
• Proprietary Engineering software (Ansys, CATIA, Simulia, Siemens-NX)
• CAD Meshing for simulations (Gmsh, CGAL, CUBIT, Ansys-PyPrimeMesh)
• Engineering data visualisation (Blender, Omniverse, USD, VTK)
• Systems Engineering (MBSE, Ansys-Twin-Builder, Dassault-3DX)

Foundation Models Specialist

• Transformers architectures
• Vision Transformer models
• Fine-tuning and transfer learning
• Scientific Foundation Models
• Large-scale data engineering

What you’ll Bring

• A PhD degree in a computational, mathematical or physical science discipline, with Post-Doctoral and professional experience (or equivalent experience in either a commercial or research environment), relevant to the area of AI/ML for fusion science.
• Recognised internationally as an expert in the field of AI for fusion
• Track record of publishing research in the area of AI for fusion, or a similar area of research with transferable knowledge to fusion science.
• Demonstrable experience of at least one compiled programming language (e.g. C++, Fortran, C, Rust) or advanced scripting language (e.g. Python Julia, R)
• Good experience of the UNIX operating system, particularly the command line interface
• Ability to work within a diverse team, but willingness to take significant personal responsibility
• Excellent written and spoken English
• UKAEA is an onsite organisation, and this role requires regular onsite presence (usually between 3-5 days in any given week) in line with business needs. We actively support flexible working arrangements where this is compatible with the role.

Benefits

• A salary of £64,820 (inclusive of a £6,500 specialist allowance)
• Up to 7% corporate performance bonus
• Final salary defined benefits pension scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave, 2.5 privilege days and 8 Bank Holidays
• 3 days of site closure over Christmas break
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions
• Our commitment to ED&I
• View benefits

Our commitment to ED&I

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience for all candidates. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. All appointments are made on merit and further information can be found here.

Additional information

International travels for short periods of 3-5 days are typical of roles at this level, to nurture collaborations and attend key conferences and workshops in this area of research.

Salary

£64,820 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension

Programme

Data Solutions

Discipline

Engineering

Site Location

UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire

Type of Employment

Full-time

Reference Number

REF4369M

Qualifications Additional Information

Qualifications Additional Information