Lead ML Engineer

Anson McCade; Greater London; On-site; GBP 114,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Anson McCade is seeking a Principal Machine Learning Engineer for National Security in the UK. The role involves delivering at the top tier of the field, translating pioneering ML research into robust, real-world systems, and working across cutting-edge ML and AI techniques.

The position requires designing and building high-stakes ML solutions, shaping technical direction, and collaborating with exceptional ML engineers and researchers.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to design and deploy advanced ML systems for high-stakes environments.
• Track record of turning research ideas into production-ready solutions.
• Expertise across modern ML, deep learning and AI techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design and build advanced ML systems for National Security applications.
• Take research ideas from concept through to production.
• Collaborate with researchers and domain specialists to shape technical direction.

Skills

Advanced ML Systems

Research to Production

Technical Leadership

Problem Solving

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Distributed Systems

Job description

Principal Machine Learning Engineer – National Security

Travel to London weekly

UK | Up to £190,000 + Exceptional Package

This is not a standard Principal ML Engineer role.

I’m partnered with an AI company working at the sharp end of National Security, looking for an exceptional Machine Learning Engineer to work on problems where the usual playbook doesn’t exist.

They’re looking for someone operating at the very top of their field — someone who can take genuinely difficult problems, develop new approaches and turn advanced ML research into systems that work in the real world.

You’ll be working across:

• Designing and building advanced ML systems for National Security applications
• Taking research ideas from concept through to production
• Developing novel approaches to complex, high-stakes problems
• Working across modern ML, deep learning and AI techniques
• Building systems that need to operate reliably in challenging environments
• Working alongside exceptional ML Engineers, Researchers and domain specialists
• Shaping technical direction and how difficult problems are approached

This is not about building another standard ML pipeline or fine-tuning off-the-shelf models.

I’m interested in people who have built genuinely difficult things — whether that’s exceptional industry work, world-class research, deep technical contributions to ML/AI, or a track record of taking ambitious research and turning it into something real.

Up to £190,000 + a very compelling package.

National Security | Principal level | Frontier AI

If you’re an ML Engineer operating at the very top of the field and want to work on problems that actually matter, I’d like to speak with you.