Principal Machine Learning Engineer

AXA UK; Redhill; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in Redhill is looking for a Principal Machine Learning Engineer to lead technical projects and implement MLOps best practices. The role involves collaboration with various stakeholders and requires strong expertise in ML technologies such as Azure Databricks and Python. You will play a key role in transforming models into production-ready systems and mentoring colleagues. Competitive salary range is £85,000 to £95,000 with additional benefits including a performance-based bonus and contributory pension scheme.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual performance-based bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Option to buy or sell up to 5 days leave

AXA employee discounts

Gym benefits

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of ML engineering processing technologies.
• Proven experience providing technical leadership in a product team or domain.
• Excellent knowledge of development lifecycles.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and expertise for data engineering solutions.
• Design scalable solutions for Model Deployment and versioning.
• Define and deploy best practices in Machine Learning and MLOps.

Skills

ML engineering processing technologies

Technical leadership in a product team

Azure Databricks

Azure ML

MLFlow

DevOps

GIT

Python

PySpark

Microservices

Job description

We’re currently seeking a highly skilled and experienced Principal Machine Learning Engineer to join our team as a key technical authority and thought leader for our ML Engineering team. You will play a pivotal role in working across the organization to define & implement MLOps best practices. Your responsibilities include driving the improvement of technical delivery quality, guiding solution development and delivery, and providing expertise in a wide range of applications and technologies. Collaboration with data scientists, data engineers, solution engineers, and other stakeholders will be essential to ensure the smooth integration of machine learning models into production systems. If you’re passionate about ML engineering and possess the expertise to make a significant impact, we’d love to hear from you.

At AXA, we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team, and our customers. You'll work at least 40% of your week away from home, moving to the majority of your working week from September 2025. Away from home means either attendance at one of our office locations, visiting clients, or attending industry events.

What you’ll be doing:

• Provide technical leadership and expertise for the development and implementation of data engineering solutions.
• Design scalable, robust solutions covering Model Deployment and versioning, Data Management and Feature engineering, Model Monitoring and Performance Management, and Automation and Orchestration.
• Senior stakeholder management, capacity planning, and developing delivery plans.
• Define and deploy best practices in Machine Learning and MLOps, mentor and teach colleagues across the group.
• Transform offline models built by data scientists into production-ready machine learning systems.
• Build and improve reusable tools & modeling pipelines, supporting knowledge sharing across teams.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing through communities and working groups (internal and external).
• Contribute to code delivery and provide expertise in key technology areas.
• Stay updated with the latest advancements in MLOps, Azure, and Databricks technologies, and proactively identify opportunities to enhance ML capabilities.

Due to the high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the listed closing date to manage interest. If you’re interested in joining AXA, please don’t hesitate to apply.

What you’ll bring:

• Strong understanding of ML engineering processing technologies.
• Proven experience providing technical leadership in a product team or domain.
• Expertise in technologies and frameworks such as Azure Databricks, Azure ML, MLFlow, DevOps, GIT, Python, PySpark, and microservices.
• Excellent knowledge of development lifecycles.
• Ability to lead and work in a team, as well as being self-sufficient.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Experience with Agile practices, principles, and ceremonies including Value Stream level.
• Strong decision-making and prioritization skills.

As a precondition of employment, you must be eligible and authorized to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer:

At AXA UK, our rewards package is regularly reviewed to reflect our appreciation of our employees. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive salary of £85,000-£95,000 depending on experience.
• Annual performance-based bonus.
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions).
• Life Assurance (up to 10x annual salary).
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays.
• Option to buy or sell up to 5 days leave.
• AXA employee discounts.
• Gym benefits.

To apply, click on the ‘apply for this job’ button, log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and support applicants with disabilities through our AXA Accessibility Concierge. For assistance, email [e-mail].

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Who we are:

AXA UK Support Functions provide infrastructure, support, and expertise to ensure excellent service to our customers. Whether you have extensive experience or are just starting out, we offer support and opportunities for growth and development.