Senior Machine Learning Engineer - Anomaly Detection

PlayStation; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company is looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to drive innovation in gaming QA through AI and ML technologies. The ideal candidate will have a Master's degree and over 5 years of experience in machine learning, specifically in game development. Responsibilities include designing algorithms to detect anomalies in games and presenting research findings at conferences. This role supports hybrid working and offers excellent benefits, including a discretionary bonus and private medical insurance.

Benefits

Discretionary bonus opportunity

Hybrid Working

Private Medical Insurance

Dental Scheme

25 days holiday per year

On Site Gym

Subsidised Café

Free soft drinks

On site bar

Access to cycle garage and showers

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant work or research experience in machine learning/AI game development.
• Experience in anomaly detection applied to QA and gameplay analysis.
• Strong understanding of data analysis, signal processing, and statistical modelling.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and implement novel anomaly/glitch detection algorithms.
• Lead research workstreams in anomaly detection and publish findings.
• Work collaboratively with teams to deploy ML models in production.
• Guide junior team members and foster a culture of innovation.

Skills

Machine Learning

Computer Vision

Python

TensorFlow

Statistical Modelling

Problem-Solving

Communication

Teamwork

Gaming

Education

Master's degree in computer science or related field

PhD preferred

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Data Analysis Tools

Job description

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

At the forefront of innovation for PlayStation, the Future Technology Group is dedicated to creating immersive and unforgettable gaming experiences. We are seeking a talented Senior Machine Learning Engineer at the intersection of machine learning, computer vision, & video game development to join our dynamic R&D team. This role focuses on revolutionising video game QA by developing technologies that automatically detect bugs and glitches at various stages of game development and certification.

What you’ll be doing:

• AI/ML Model Development: Design, develop and implement novel anomaly/glitch detection algorithms to automatically identify bugs and glitches in games.
• Research and Innovation: Lead research workstreams in anomaly detection, contributing to the authorship of team research papers, filing patents, and presenting at academic conferences.
• Collaboration and Creativity: Work with multi‑functional teams to deploy ML models in production, ensuring scalability and performance.
• Mentorship: Guide junior team members, interns and academic partners, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
• Communication: Present findings to stakeholders, communicating complex technical issues to both technical and non‑technical colleagues.
• Continuous Learning: Stay current with the latest ML and AI research, attending top‑tier conferences and sharing insights across the team.
• Prototyping: Quickly prototype new ideas and technologies to evaluate relevance and performance.
• Inclusive Culture: Contribute to maintaining a culture of innovation, curiosity, creativity, and continuous learning within the team.

What we are looking for:

• Education: Master’s degree in computer science, machine learning, electrical engineering, robotics, statistics, mathematics, or a related field. PhD preferred, but can be substituted with relevant work experience.
• Senior Research Engineer: 5+ years of relevant work or research experience in the field of machine learning/AI game development, computer science or related technical fields.
• Domain Expertise:
  • Prior experience in anomaly detection applied to QA, gameplay analysis, computer vision, and video stream analysis, preferably in a studio environment.
  • Proven track record of delivering ML algorithms from conception to deployment in real‑world products.
  • Professional experience with Python and proficiency with TensorFlow or PyTorch.
  • Strong understanding of data analysis, signal processing, and statistical modelling.
  • Experience in game development is a plus.
  • Experience with computer vision in self‑supervised learning, multimodal or vision‑language models, and post‑training techniques is a plus.
• Research Ambition: Passion for pushing AI boundaries and commitment to publishing in top‑tier conferences (IEEE CVPR, NeurIPS, ICML, etc).
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong problem‑solving, communication, and teamwork abilities.
• Passion for Gaming: Interest in gaming and exploring the intersection of ML and game technology is desirable.

Benefits:

• Discretionary bonus opportunity
• Hybrid Working (within Flexmodes)
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Scheme
• 25 days holiday per year
• On Site Gym
• Subsidised Café
• Free soft drinks
• On site bar
• Access to cycle garage and showers

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.