Staff Engineer (ML, Data & Optimisation)

Automata; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading life sciences technology company is seeking a Staff Engineer for ML, Data & Optimisation. In this hybrid role, you will design and implement high-performance algorithms to solve complex engineering problems, directly impacting human health. The ideal candidate has strong experience with optimisation techniques, proficiency in Python, and a collaborative mindset. Join us to work on groundbreaking technology that saves lives.

Benefits

Vitality Health Insurance

Private healthcare benefits

Pension Scheme

Wellbeing & Development Allowance

Qualifications

• Strong experience with or-tools, solver technology, or custom optimisation methods.
• Deep understanding of ML and heuristics in optimisation strategies.
• Experience with deploying scalable ML/optimisation pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement optimisation solutions using or-tools.
• Balance rigour with practicality in algorithm development.
• Productionise solutions using Python and container technology.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to align optimisation solutions.
• Experiment and innovate in optimisation and ML.

Skills

or-tools

solver technology

Python

containerization (Docker/Kubernetes)

optimisation methods

Job description

Overview

Level: 5

Role Type: Permanent or Contract

Location: Hybrid - work on site in our London office 3x/wk

The Mission

Our platform is transforming life sciences automation. It already saves lives — but our next challenge is scaling it globally, with optimisation and data at its core.

This is your chance to work on some of the hardest automation engineering problems in optimisation and machine learning, with direct impact on how scientists and engineers across the world operate. The algorithms you design won’t sit in theory — they’ll power real-world decisions that affect human health outcomes.

The Role

As a Staff Engineer for ML, Data & Optimisation, you’ll be both a hands-on contributor and a technical leader influencing direction. You’ll work in a senior engineering team alongside product managers, shaping how optimisation, data, and machine learning are applied at scale.

You’ll bring ideas — from solver tech to heuristic approaches — and the ability to turn them into scalable, production-grade systems.

What You’ll Do

• Design & Implement Optimisation Solutions: Build high-performance algorithms using or-tools, solver technology, and custom approaches.

• Balance Rigour & Practicality: Apply exact methods where needed, and heuristics where scale and performance demand it.

• Productionise Your Work: Use Python and container tech to move from prototype into scalable production system.

• Collaborate Deeply: Work within a multidisciplinary team (engineering, design, PM) to align optimisation solutions with product goals.

• Experiment & Innovate: Bring forward new ideas, approaches, and techniques to stay ahead in the optimisation/ML space.

• Influence Direction: Shape the strategy for how ML and optimisation underpin the global scaling of our product.

What You Bring

• Strong experience with or-tools, solver technology, or custom optimisation methods.

• Deep understanding of ML and heuristics in optimisation strategies, and when to apply them.

• Proficiency in Python, with ability to structure clean, maintainable solutions.

• Experience with containerisation (Docker/Kubernetes) and deploying scalable ML/optimisation pipelines, or willingness to learn.

• A track record of solving complex optimisation problems in startup, scaleup, or high-performance contexts.

• Curiosity, creativity, and the ability to generate and test many ideas quickly.

Nice to Have

• Broader ML/data engineering experience.

• Exposure to high-volume or real-time systems.

• Experience in mission-critical industries (e.g., healthcare, logistics, manufacturing).

Why Join Us

• Work on hard technical problems that directly impact human health.

• Be part of a senior engineering team, collaborating closely with PMs and designers.

• Build solutions that go beyond prototypes — real-world production systems at global scale.

• Hybrid working: 3 days in our London office, balanced with flexibility.

• Competitive package, plus the opportunity to do career-defining, meaningful work.

If you’re a staff-level engineer excited to turn ML, data, and optimisation into global-scale impact, this is the role you’ve been waiting for.

UK Team Benefits

• Vitality Health Insurance

• Private healthcare that incentives a healthy lifestyle

• Eye Care

• Get your eyes tested once a year on us!

• Salary Sacrifice - EV

• Sacrifice some of your monthly salary in exchange for a company car, provided by your Employer

• Salary Sacrifice - Bike & Tech

• Sacrifice some of your monthly salary in exchange for bike and tech products, provided by your Employer

• Wellbeing & Support

• Support for both your physical and mental health

• Wellbeing & Development Allowance

• Invest in your own well-being, personal growth, and hobbies

• Spill & Employee Assistance Programme

• Access the therapy for you and your family through Spill

• Additional Leave

• Time off for dependents, "Me days", and volunteering days off

• Pension Scheme

• Plan for retirement with NEST

• Group Life & Critical Illness cover

• Life insurance - for a piece of mind

• Birthday

• Time off for your Birthday

We are an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Discrimination of any kind based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status is strictly prohibited.