KTP Associate in AI- Powered Optometric Decision Support

Aston University; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Development budget £2k/yr

Annual leave 25 days

Mentorship

Mental health and wellbeing support

Job summary

Aston University in Birmingham is inviting applications for an associate role integrating AI research with real‑world triage improvements in a clinical retail context. You will collaborate with world‑leading researchers and industry partners to apply the latest AI methods to healthcare data and drive commercial impact.

You will work with senior academics and business leaders, shaping deliverables, governance, and scalable AI solutions while developing your professional skills and contributing to

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree (MSc) in computer science, AI, or similar.
• Demonstrable competence in machine learning, medical image or signal analysis, data engineering, and healthcare data governance.
• Adept at developing/validating AI algorithms, and adhering to regulatory and privacy standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead a strategically important project combining academic research and commercial innovation.
• Collaborate with academic researchers and industry partners to transfer AI knowledge into practical solutions.
• Ensure regulatory and privacy compliance in healthcare data handling and model deployment.
• Contribute to scalable AI systems for clinical decision support within a retail setting.

Skills

Machine learning

Medical image analysis

Data engineering

Healthcare data governance

AI algorithms development

Education

MSc in Computer Science/AI

PhD in Computer Science/AI (Desirable)

Job description

Interview Date:To be confirmed

This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant contribution to Boots Opticians by improving the accuracy and consistency of triage, enabling patients to spend the appropriate amount of time with their Optometrist based on their clinical requirements. Please read the job description to find out more about what your role will entail.

What you will gain:

• The opportunity to lead a strategically important business project, gain hands-on experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team, work at the interface between world-leading academic research and commercial innovation, and deliver real impact.


• Work closely with world-leading researchers in Clinical Vision Science and Artificial Intelligence at Aston University to transfer state-of-the-art research knowledge into a leading UK business


• Professional mentoring from both academic and business supervisors as well as Innovate UK experts.


• Access a personal development budget of £2,000 a year to build further skills relevant to your future career

To deliver this project successfully, we are seeking an associate with a strong blend of technical expertise and professional attributes tailored to the unique challenges of scaling explainable AI-enabled triage within a clinical retail setting. You will work closely with senior University academics and company leaders on a commercial project, applying the latest research to achieve both commercial impact and positive healthcare outcomes.

What we are looking for:

Skills/ experience required for this exciting role include:

Essential

• Postgraduate degree (MSc) in computer science, AI, or similar.


• Demonstrable competence in machine learning, medical image or signal analysis, data engineering, and healthcare data governance.


• Adept at developing/validating AI algorithms, and adhering to regulatory and privacy standards.

Desirable:

• PhD in Computer Science, AI or similar.


• Prior work on explainable AI solutions, human-computer interface design (healthcare), or integrating automated systems into clinical workflows.


• Knowledge of Electronic Health Records and their regulatory governance


• Usability testing, bias auditing, and familiarity with data protection requirements in healthcare (such as DPIA processes).


• Experience in applying machine learning or AI to at least two different data modalities (e.g., medical imaging, clinical text, structured/tabular healthcare data, or time-series data), with an interest in developing multimodal AI systems for clinical decision support.

Attributes:

• Project management aptitude, effective communication with multi-disciplinary stakeholders, creative problem-solving, and ability to adapt to evolving project needs.


• A collaborative mindset is key, given the need for translational thinking and co-development with both academic and business partners.


• Able to articulate business problems, logical solutions and impactful outcomes


• Team player who works productively across locations and disciplines.


• Proactive learner who makes the most of development opportunities.

Additional Benefits and support:

• £2000 per annum (total £5k for the duration of the project) for personal and professional development for the duration of the project


• Annual leave (25 days p/a)


• Professional support and mentorship


• Mental Health and wellbeing support: https://www.aston.ac.uk/staff-public/hr/Benefits-and-Rewards/health-wellbeing

For informal enquiries about this role please contact Dr Hassan Aqeel Khan e-mail:

This role is likely to qualify for endorsement under the Endorsed Funder route of the Global Talent visa. This visa is for talented or promising individuals in academia or research in fields such as science, engineering, medicine, social sciences, or humanities. See the Home Office guidance: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent