Machine Learning - (Speech) - Contract

Microtech Global; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology company in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Research Engineer. This role focuses on developing innovative AI algorithms and models, particularly in audio and speech processing. A successful candidate will have an MSc/PhD and professional experience with Python, alongside strong machine learning and deep learning skills. This permanent position offers opportunities for impactful research projects and software development.

Qualifications

• Professional software development experience with Python; experience with C++, Java, or Kotlin is a plus.
• Strong experience in audio/speech processing.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research ideas into production-ready solutions.

Responsibilities

• Drive the research, design development, and evaluation of AI algorithms.
• Lead development of scalable software solutions for mobile devices.
• Independently own and deliver components of complex research projects.

Skills

Machine learning fundamentals

Deep learning fundamentals

Audio/speech processing

Python

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

MSc/PhD in AI, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Git

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Senior Machine Learning Research Engineer

Role is available on a permanent basis and also open to a contractor contract for an initial 6‑month period via agency. The role is inside IR35.

Role and Responsibilities

• Drive the research, design development, and evaluation of innovative AI algorithms and models, with a primary focus on audio and speech processing.
• Lead the development of robust and scalable software solutions for deployment on flagship mobile devices.
• Independently own and deliver significant components of complex research projects, from initial concept to production readiness.
• Design, implement, and maintain high‑quality, well‑documented code, adhering to best software development practices.
• Collaborate closely with a multi‑disciplinary team of researchers and engineers, providing technical guidance and mentorship.
• Proactively identify and address technical challenges, proposing creative solutions and ensuring the successful delivery of projects.
• Contribute to the development of internal tools and infrastructure to support research and development efforts.

Skills and Qualifications

Required Skills

• MSc/PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related discipline.
• Professional software development experience with Python (experience with C++, Java, or Kotlin is a plus).
• Deep understanding of machine learning and deep learning fundamentals, including various architectures, training techniques, and evaluation metrics.
• Strong experience in audio/speech processing, including speech recognition, speech enhancement, audio analysis, text‑to‑speech synthesis, and natural language processing.
• Proficiency with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Solid understanding of software engineering principles, including version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and agile development methodologies.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem‑solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research ideas into practical, production‑ready solutions.
• Experience with generative AI, particularly in the context of audio/speech technologies.
• A strong publication record in top‑tier machine learning, artificial intelligence, or signal processing conferences and journals (e.g., ICML, NeurIPS, ICLR, CVPR, SysML, INTERSPEECH, ICASSP, IEEE/ACM TASLP, IEEE TPAMI, JMLR).
• Experience with open‑source speech processing toolkits (e.g., Hugging Face Transformers, SpeechBrain, ESPnet, Kaldi, NeMo).
• Experience developing and deploying AI models on Android mobile platforms.
• Proven experience in building and maintaining large‑scale, distributed training pipelines.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).