Machine Learning Engineer - Defence

££60,000 - £90,000 GBP

Hybrid WORKING

Location: Manchester;Bristol;London;Newcaslte , Manchester, North West - United Kingdom Type: Permanent

Machine Learning Engineer

Newcastle | Manchester | Bristol | London | Hybrid | Permanent

Our client is a specialist technology consultancy delivering high-impact engineering across defence and complex environments, supporting organisations operating in secure, mission-critical settings. The focus is on solving complex problems through advanced machine learning and AI capabilities within constrained and high-assurance environments.

This role offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge machine learning and large language model (LLM) systems, contributing to impactful solutions where performance, reliability, and security are critical.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Design and develop machine learning and LLM-based solutions
• Work on advanced AI systems within secure and constrained environments
• Apply deep technical knowledge across ML, statistics, and optimisation
• Contribute to real-world AI applications in defence and high-assurance settings
• Collaborate with engineers and clients to solve complex challenges
• Take ownership of delivery within high-impact projects

Your Responsibilities:

• Develop and deploy machine learning models and LLM-based systems
• Apply knowledge of transformer architectures and LLM principles
• Optimise model performance, inference, and efficiency
• Evaluate model behaviour using established performance frameworks
• Contribute to solutions deployed in edge, constrained, or air-gapped environments
• Apply best practices in AI safety, explainability, and robustness
• Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate ML systems into production environments

Key Requirements:

• Strong understanding of machine learning fundamentals
• Solid foundation in mathematics and statistics
• Hands-on experience with LLMs and transformer architectures
• Experience with model evaluation and inference optimisation
• Strong programming experience (typically Python)
• Ability to work on complex problems within constrained environments
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
• Clear communication skills and ability to work in client-facing environments
• UK national, eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC)

You will gain exposure with:

• Advanced LLM and AI system development
• Deployment of ML systems in secure and resource-constrained environments
• Real-world applications of AI safety and explainability
• High-impact defence and national security programmes
• Complex engineering challenges requiring both theory and practical delivery

Why Join:

• Work on cutting-edge AI problems with real-world implications
• Operate within a high-performance, engineering-focused environment
• Gain exposure to advanced ML, LLMs, and secure systems
• Take ownership of meaningful technical delivery
• Flexible working across Newcastle, Manchester, Bristol, and London

Interested? Apply now.