Machine Learning Engineer (Agentic)

Understanding Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Understanding Recruitment Ltd is seeking Machine Learning Engineers for a well-funded Defence AI startup. You will work on autonomous agents, multimodal AI, and robust production systems, building models that reason, plan, and operate in complex real-world environments.

Candidates should have strong ML foundations, proficiency in Python, and hands-on experience with PyTorch or JAX. PhD holders are welcome but not required. UK office-first with flexibility and security clearances may apply.

Qualifications

• Solid foundations in machine learning, deep learning and Python.
• Hands-on experience in PyTorch or JAX is ideal.
• Ability to tackle difficult ML problems and turn ideas into working systems.

Skills

Machine learning

Deep learning

Python

PyTorch

JAX

Education

PhD (not essential)

Tools

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

Machine Learning Engineers - are you tired of building LLM wrappers?

I'm working with awell-funded, VC-backed Defence AI start-upbuilding intelligent systems designed to operate in complex, real-world environments.

We're talkingLLMs, autonomous agents, deep learning, multimodal AI and decision-making systems- where model performance, reasoning, reliability and efficiency aren't just nice-to-haves. They're fundamental to whether the technology works.

The technical challenges?

→ Building autonomous agents that can reason, plan and make decisions in dynamic environments.

→ Developing and optimising deep learning and multimodal models.

→ Working with real-world sensor data and complex, imperfect information.

→ Training, fine-tuning and improving models — not just calling an API.

→ Bridging the gap between cutting-edge ML research and robust, production-ready systems.

Who would be a strong fit?

• Engineers with solid foundations inmachine learning, deep learning and Python, ideally with hands-on experience inPyTorch or JAX.
• You might be working in an AI research lab, an autonomous systems company, a high-performance engineering environment or an ambitious AI start-up.
• A PhD or publications at NeurIPS, ICML or ICLR would be great, but they'reabsolutely not essential.
• What matters is your ability to tackle difficult ML problems, think from first principles and turn ambitious ideas into systems that actually work.

UK | Office-first with flexibility

UK right to work and SC clearance eligibility required