Lead Machine Learning Engineer, AI

Hackajob Ltd; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 5%+

Life assurance

25 days leave

Buy/sell days

Volunteering days

Certifications with study leave

Personal choice fund

Coaching & training

Private medical insurance

Hybrid with WFH allowance

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Hackajob Ltd in Cheltenham, UK is seeking an expert in Generative AI to lead research, design and deployment of advanced ML models. You will build production-grade AI systems, oversee end-to-end MLOps, and mentor junior engineers while ensuring security and compliance within public-sector contexts.

You will evaluate new AI technologies for business relevance, deliver high-risk PoCs, and act as the definitive internal expert on generative AI, shaping technical decisions across the team.

Qualifications

• Broad technical expertise in machine learning, with deep understanding of ML algorithms, frameworks, and best practices.
• Proven experience in building, deploying, and managing complex machine learning models.
• Experience researching, planning, directing, and carrying out research activities as a subject matter expert in generative AI research.
• Ability to systematically discover and evaluate new generative AI technologies for business relevance and feasibility within the National Security Domain.
• Experience delivering complex, high-risk proofs of concept that test new AI applications.
• Ability to serve as the primary source of expertise for generative AI within the organisation.
• Experience applying a range of data science techniques to support model development.
• Eligibility for UK Government Security Clearance.
• Right to work in the UK without sponsorship and have lived in the UK continuously for the last 5 years.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and test new AI algorithms, models, and technologies.
• Build complex machine learning models.
• Design and manage MLOps pipelines for CI/CD, monitoring, and model retraining.
• Design, build, test, and deploy complex machine learning models, ensuring quality, performance, and scalability.
• Decide which model is most suitable for use in products and services.
• Customise, optimise, retrain, and maintain existing models.
• Deploy models into production and test them to ensure they meet performance requirements.
• Integrate models with existing systems.
• Check that models used in live products and services remain safe, secure, and effective.
• Act as a technical expert for complex, non-routine machine learning challenges.
• Develop and implement innovative and effective solutions.
• Mentor junior team members.
• Influence technical decisions within the team.

Skills

Generative AI

ML model development

Research leadership

UK security clearance

PoC delivery

Data science techniques

National Security domain

Evaluation of new AI tech

Tools

AWS

GCP

CI/CD

MLOps

Security

Cloud

NAT

LESS

AI

Machine Learning

Job description

Salary: £85,000 - 85,000 per year

Requirements

• Broad technical expertise in machine learning, with a deep understanding of ML algorithms, frameworks, and best practices.
• Proven experience in building, deploying, and managing complex machine learning models.
• Experience researching, planning, directing, and carrying out research activities as a subject matter expert in generative AI research.
• Ability to systematically discover and evaluate new generative AI technologies for business relevance and feasibility within the National Security Domain.
• Experience delivering complex, high-risk proofs of concept that test new AI applications.
• Ability to serve as the primary source of expertise for generative AI within the organisation.
• Experience applying a range of data science techniques to support model development.
• Eligibility for UK Government Security Clearance.
• Right to work in the UK without sponsorship and have lived in the UK continuously for the last 5 years.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and test new AI algorithms, models, and technologies.
• Build complex machine learning models.
• Design and manage MLOps pipelines for CI/CD, monitoring, and model retraining.
• Design, build, test, and deploy complex machine learning models, ensuring quality, performance, and scalability.
• Decide which model is most suitable for use in products and services.
• Customise, optimise, retrain, and maintain existing models.
• Deploy models into production and test them to ensure they meet performance requirements.
• Integrate models with existing systems.
• Check that models used in live products and services remain safe, secure, and effective.
• Act as a technical expert for complex, non-routine machine learning challenges.
• Develop and implement innovative and effective solutions.
• Mentor junior team members.
• Influence technical decisions within the team.

Technologies

• AI
• CI/CD
• Support
• Machine Learning
• MLOps
• Security
• AWS
• Cloud
• GCP
• LESS
• NAT

More

We are partnering directly with Zaizi to hire for this role. We work on exciting public sector projects and aim to make a positive difference in peoples lives. At Zaizi, we thrive on solving complex challenges through creative thinking and the latest tools and technology. Our work culture is inclusive, modern, friendly, and democratic, and we look for bright, positive-thinking people with a can-do attitude. We offer a salary of up to £75,000, annual salary reviews, a pension starting at 5% employer contribution and increasing over time, group life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, the option to buy or sell additional days, paid volunteering days, funded professional certifications with study leave, a personal choice fund, professional coaching and team training, private medical insurance, hybrid working with a WFH equipment allowance, and a cycle to work scheme.

last updated 40 week of 2026