Staff Scientist

digiLab; Exeter; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Personal & Professional development

BUPA health care (salary sacrifice)

Cycle to work

Job summary

digiLab is an ambitious AI company focused on uncertainty quantification and high-stakes applications. We seek a senior researcher to own research portfolios, design programs, and guide the Lab’s scientific direction, delivering high-quality, reproducible outputs.

You will collaborate with the Director of AI and cross-functional teams, mentor scientists, and lead external engagements and publications to strengthen digiLab’s reputation.

Qualifications

• PhD in AI, ML, computational science, mathematics, physics, or related.
• Internationally recognised track record of scientific contributions.
• Experience designing and leading research programmes or portfolios.
• Strong publication record and external scientific engagement.
• Specialist expertise in AI/ML methodologies, modelling, and evaluation frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead significant research portfolios and programmes.
• Design coherent research projects advancing long-term capability.
• Engage with real-world problems to test and apply research ideas.

Skills

PhD in AI/ML/related field

International publications

Lead research programmes

Strong scientific judgement

Cross-disciplinary synthesis

Funding/applications

Collaboration with external partners

Mentorship

Open science practices

Reproducible research

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Tools

Research-grade tools & libraries

Data analysis frameworks

Job description

digiLab is a formative AI company with world-leading specialists in uncertainty quantification, applied where the stakes are highest and the margin for error is smallest.

Our customers are among the largest and most advanced engineering and science-led organisations in the world, and they're using our technology to tackle some of society's biggest challenges. How do we make fusion energy a commercial reality? Can we drive down the cost of renewable energy and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future? How do we support coral reef restoration, or strengthen Britain's national security? These are just a few of the critical questions our technology is helping to answer.

At the heart of our work is digiLab's trustworthy and explainable AI platform, enabling our customers to accelerate innovation, reduce risk, and deliver real value through better informed decisions.

We are looking for ambitious team members to help shape our pioneering technology and tackle some of the world's most impactful problems.

The Role:

• Own and lead significant fields, programmes, or portfolios of scientific inquiry, shaping research direction, priorities, and standards.
• Design and guide coherent research projects and programmes that advance theLab’s long-term scientific capability and strategic intent.
• Engage with real-world problems as contexts for scientific inquiry, leading work to test, refine, and apply research ideas to achieve tangible impact.
• Exercise deep scientific judgement on complex or ambiguous problems, setting expectations for rigour, methodology, and interpretation.
• Act as a scientific authority in external engagements, partnerships, and collaborations, representing theLab’s work and contributing to its reputation.
• Contribute to theLab’s research profile through publication in top tier journals, open repositories, conference participation, and other externally visible outputs.
• Provide structured technical and intellectual mentorship to scientists across theLab, supporting the development of technical depth, judgement, and expertise.
• Shape and steward research-grade tools, libraries, and methodological frameworks as scientific artefacts, ensuring they support reproducibility, clarity, and reusability within research contexts.
• Influence theLab’s scientific culture by exemplifying high standards of rigour, curiosity, openness, and constructive challenge.

Duties may evolve, and you may be asked to take on other reasonable responsibilities within your competence to support our growth.

Ways of working

• Remain scientifically engaged through review, synthesis, and judgement, maintaining sufficient depth of understanding to credibly arbitrate priorities, standards, and trade-offs across theLab.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of AI to ensure research agendas are viable, well-supported, and appropriately resourced.
• Engage with Product and delivery teams through bounded scientific authority and consultation, without assuming ownership of execution.

Required Skills

• Extensive research experience or advanced qualification (PhD in a relevant field) in AI, machine learning, computational science, mathematics, physics, or related discipline.
• Internationally recognised and evidenced track record of scientific contribution in one or more areas of technical specialisation.
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading research programmes or portfolios.
• Strong publication record and evidence of sustained external scientific engagement.
• Specialist expertise in AI/ML methodologies, modelling, and evaluation frameworks.
• Ability to synthesise developments across multiple fields and identify long-term research opportunities.
• Experience contributing to major research collaborations and/or funding applications.
• Exceptional scientific judgement and ability to define and uphold rigorous standards.

Location

This role is primarily based on-site at one of digiLab's offices in Exeter, Bristol, or London.

As an ambitious, rapidly-growing start-up, we're looking for proactive, adaptable people who thrive in a fast-paced environment. Our standard working hours are 9.00-5.30pm, Monday to Thursday, though some flexibility outside these hours may be required to meet business needs.

Our Culture and Values

At digiLab, we're building something we truly believe in, and we're looking for like-minded people.

We foster a culture of innovation, trust, and collaboration. Our values include:

• Creativity & Agility: Encouraging innovation and flexibility in goal achievement.
• Trust & Responsibility: Supporting each other in taking calculated risks for bold innovation.
• Open & Honest Collaboration: Ensuring transparent communication and alignment.
• High-Performance Standards: Continuously challenging ourselves to excel in delivery.
• Value-Driven Work: Regularly assessing our contributions toward company goals.

Benefits

We value enthusiasm and loyalty, and we're committed to offering a great work-life balance. Along with the exciting challenges this role provides, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Competitive Salary
• Personal & professional development
• BUPA private health care (via salary sacrifice)
• Company Cashplan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Referral Program
• Regular social events such as pizza nights, kayaking, bouldering and bake offs

Equal Opportunities

digiLab is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are fair, inclusive, and legally compliant. We take equality, dignity, and non-discrimination seriously.

Final Note

We aim to respond to every applicant, but due to high application volumes, we may not be able to respond individually. Thank you for your interest in joining the digiLab team. The information you provide will be stored and used in line with our Privacy Notice.