Senior Data Engineer - Machine Learning Operations (MLOPS)

Royal London; Alderley Edge; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal London’s Group Data and AI Office is seeking a Senior ML Operations Engineer to lead scalable ML workflows in production, ensuring reproducibility, traceability and governance across environments.

You will collaborate with data scientists and platform teams to productionise models safely, implement robust CI/CD, and mentor colleagues while advancing engineering excellence and responsible AI practices.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with Azure, including Azure ML, Data Factory and Azure DevOps.
• Hands-on experience with Databricks, MLflow and production-grade ML workflows.
• Experience designing CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions or similar tools.
• Advanced Python skills, with knowledge of SQL, Spark and testing approaches for ML.
• Understanding of data engineering concepts such as ETL/ELT, feature stores and lineage tracking.
• Awareness of security, governance, Responsible AI and relevant AI regulation.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve scalable, production-grade ML workflows on Databricks.
• Lead effective use of MLflow for experiment tracking, model versioning, lineage and lifecycle management.
• Build reusable CI/CD patterns for model training, validation, promotion and inference.
• Champion strong engineering practices, including modular Python, testing, reproducibility and configuration management.
• Work with data scientists and platform teams to productionise models safely and efficiently.
• Mentor colleagues and support high standards across the team.

Skills

Azure ML

Databricks

MLflow

Azure DevOps

Python

SQL

Spark

CI/CD

Testing

Feature stores

Data governance

Tools

GitHub Actions

Databricks

MLflow

Azure DevOps

Job description

Job description:

Contract Type: Permanent Location: Alderley Park (Wilmslow) Working Style: Hybrid - 50% from home / 50% office based

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Machine Learning Operations Engineer to join Royal London’s Group Data and AI Office. In this role, you’ll provide senior technical leadership for the workflows, tooling and engineering practices that take machine learning safely and reliably from experimentation into production.

Working closely with data scientists, data engineers and platform teams, you’ll define and evolve standards for CI/CD, experiment tracking, model lineage and controlled promotion across environments. Using Databricks, MLflow and Azure ML, you’ll help create scalable, well-governed pipelines that are reproducible, traceable and auditable.

You’ll also embed model risk management into delivery, supporting repeatable builds, clear lineage, transparent decision points and audit trails that strengthen governance and reduce operational risk.

As a senior practitioner, you’ll champion engineering excellence, reusable patterns and production-ready ways of working. You’ll mentor colleagues, support communities of practice and influence platform and architecture decisions so ML products deliver sustainable business value at scale.

More About the role:

• Design and evolve scalable, production-grade ML workflows on Databricks.
• Lead effective use of MLflow for experiment tracking, model versioning, lineage and lifecycle management.
• Build reusable CI/CD patterns for model training, validation, promotion and inference.
• Champion strong engineering practices, including modular Python, testing, reproducibility and configuration management.
• Work with data scientists and platform teams to productionise models safely and efficiently.
• Mentor colleagues and support high standards across the team.

More about you:

• Strong experience with Azure, including Azure ML, Data Factory and Azure DevOps.
• Hands-on experience with Databricks, MLflow and production-grade ML workflows.
• Experience designing CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions or similar tools.
• Advanced Python skills, with knowledge of SQL, Spark and testing approaches for ML.
• Understanding of data engineering concepts such as ETL/ELT, feature stores and lineage tracking.
• Awareness of security, governance, Responsible AI and relevant AI regulation.

If you feel you’d be a great fit for Royal London but don’t meet every requirement, we’d still love to hear from you!

About Royal London

We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.

Our People Promise is to make Royal London inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling, underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values: Empowe...