ML Ops Engineer

IWSR Drinks Market Analysis Limited; London; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An industry leader in beverage alcohol data is seeking an ML Ops Engineer to enhance data science workflows. The role involves managing Databricks infrastructure, building CI/CD pipelines, and collaborating with analysts to optimize processes. The ideal candidate has strong skills in Databricks, AWS, and Python, and excellent communication skills. This position offers a hybrid work model and competitive benefits, including generous time off and growth opportunities.

Benefits

Generous time off: 25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible work environment with hybrid model

Annual bonus scheme

Pension

Regular social events

Birthday treats

Volunteering policy

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Deep familiarity with Databricks.
• Strong experience with CI/CD tools for data science.
• Solid understanding of AWS services.
• Proficient in Python and PySpark; SQL fluency.
• Experience with MLflow or other model lifecycle tools.

Responsibilities

• Set up and manage Databricks infrastructure.
• Build CI/CD pipelines for notebooks and ML models.
• Partner with analysts to migrate workflows to Databricks.
• Implement infrastructure as code using CDK or Terraform.
• Develop internal libraries and notebook templates.
• Establish best practices for data workflows.
• Create documentation and training for team-wide adoption.

Skills

Databricks administration and development

CI/CD tools and pipelines

AWS services (EC2, S3, Lambda, Glue)

Python

PySpark

SQL fluency

MLflow or similar tools

Effective communication

Documentation skills

Tools

Terraform

dbt

Great Expectations

Job description

About Us:

IWSR is the global authority on beverage alcohol data and intelligence

For over 50 years, IWSR has been trusted by the leaders of global beverage alcohol businesses as an integral part of their strategic planning and decision-making processes. We uniquely combine our proprietary longitudinal market data, consumer insights and AI-enhanced data science, with valuable on-the-ground human intelligence in 160 markets worldwide, to decipher what is really happening in the global beverage alcohol market. With access to our data, clients from across the drinks industry, including multinational spirits, beer, and wine businesses; packaging and ingredient manufacturers; distributors; and financial institutions, plan their strategies and future investment with a reliable, consistent and complete understanding of the global landscape.

Role Overview:

We’re seeking an ML Ops Engineer to drive the adoption of robust, scalable, and consistent data science and data analysis workflows across IWSR. You'll work at the intersection of data engineering, data science, and DevOps — helping us move to a more structured and mature approach using Databricks on AWS.

Your work will empower our analysts and data scientists to be more productive and consistent, by setting up reusable tools, automated deployment pipelines, and standardized workflows. This is a hands-on role with a focus on enablement, automation, and best practices.

Key Responsibilities:

• Set up and manage Databricks infrastructure, including job scheduling, cluster configurations, and workspace organization.
• Build CI/CD pipelines for notebooks, Python packages, and ML models using GitHub Actions or similar tools.
• Partner with analysts to migrate Excel and SQL workflows to Databricks notebooks and jobs.
• Work with AWS partners to implement infrastructure as code using CDK or Terraform.
• Develop and maintain internal libraries, notebook templates, and utility functions for reproducible analysis and modeling.
• Establish best practices for version control, testing, logging, and monitoring of data workflows.
• Create and deliver documentation, playbooks, and internal training to improve team-wide adoption and fluency.

Skills & Experience:

• Deep familiarity with Databricks (administration and development)
• Strong experience with CI/CD tools and pipelines for data science
• Solid understanding of AWS services (e.g. EC2, S3, Lambda, Glue) and CDK
• Proficient in Python and PySpark; SQL fluency
• Experience with MLflow or other model lifecycle tools
• Effective communicator and trainer — able to help others upskill
• Comfortable building internal tools and documentation

Nice to Have:

• Experience with Terraform, dbt, or Great Expectations
• Exposure to software engineering best practices in a collaborative environment
• Knowledge of data governance and compliance practices

Benefits: In addition to a competitive salary, IWSR offers

• Generous time off: 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and a company-wide end-of-year break.

• Flexible work environment: Hybrid working model with flexible hours.

• Comprehensive perks: Annual bonus scheme, pension, regular social events, birthday treats, and a volunteering policy.

• Growth opportunities: Lots of learning and development opportunities