Senior Research Engineer (AI/ML) - Egham (Contract)

microTECH Global Limited; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A technology consulting firm in the United Kingdom is seeking a skilled individual for a 6-month contract focusing on performance optimization and model deployment in AI applications. Candidates should have strong OS fundamentals, expertise in Python and Rust, and a solid understanding of machine learning principles. This position offers a hybrid working model with opportunities to collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team and contribute to open-source projects.

Qualifications

• Strong OS fundamentals like memory management and multithreading.
• Expertise in Python and Rust programming languages.
• Solid understanding of machine learning and deep learning fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Profile and debug performance bottlenecks at the OS and runtime levels.
• Work on model conversion and runtime integration of AI models.
• Conduct rigorous experiments and statistical analysis.

Skills

Strong OS fundamentals

Expert proficiency in Python

Expert proficiency in Rust

Solid understanding of machine learning

Analytical skills

Excellent communication skills

Tools

ARM CPU architectures

C

C++

Job description

Contract Type: 6 month contract outsourced via agency on an hourly rate

Location: Egham

Hybrid: 3 days onsite (minimum) and 2 days working from home

Rate: Very much dependant on level of experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Performance Optimization: Profile and debug performance bottlenecks at the OS, runtime, and model levels.
• Model Deployment: Work across the stack—from model conversion, quantization, and optimization to runtime integration of AI models on-device.
• Toolchain Evaluation: Compare deployment toolchains and runtimes for latency, memory, and accuracy trade-offs.
• Open-Source Contribution: Enhance open-source libraries by adding new features and improving capabilities.
• Experimentation & Analysis: Conduct rigorous experiments and statistical analysis to evaluate algorithms and systems.
• Prototyping: Lead the development of software prototypes and experimental systems with high code quality.
• Collaboration: Work closely with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and engineers to integrate research findings into products.

We not require a PhD holder this time which is unusual for the AI Team.

We're looking for someone with:

• Technical Expertise: Strong OS fundamentals (memory management, multithreading, user/kernel mode interaction) and expertise in ARM CPU architectures.
• Programming Skills: Expert proficiency in Python and Rust, with desirable knowledge in C and C++.
• AI Knowledge: Solid understanding of machine learning and deep learning fundamentals, including architectures and evaluation metrics.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills and the ability to design and conduct rigorous experiments.
• Team Player: Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a results-oriented attitude

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with ARM 64-bit architecture and CPU hardware architectures.
• Knowledge of trusted execution environments (confidential computing).
• Hands-on experience with deep learning model optimization (quantization, pruning, distillation).
• Familiarity with lightweight inference runtimes (ExecuTorch, llama.cpp, Candle).