AI Platform Specialist in Reading

Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking.

Package: £61,460 - £95,000 p.a (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Responsibilities to include:

• Continuously scan the AI landscape to spot emerging tools, models and techniques with strategic value, maintaining an internal tech radar to keep AWE ahead of developments and supporting the growth of AWE’s internal AI capability.
• Plan and run structured assessments, benchmarking and hands‐on trials of new AI technologies, producing clear recommendations (adopt, trial, reject) grounded in practical evidence and risk analysis.
• Maintain a forward‐looking roadmap that aligns emerging AI capabilities, skills and investments with organisational needs, guiding where and when to adopt new technologies.
• Convert evaluation and prototype learnings into reusable solution patterns, templates, sample code and reference architectures that accelerate safe, scalable AI adoption across the organisation.
• Ensure all AI capability development activities comply with AWE’s safety, security, ethical, data protection and nuclear governance standards, enabling rapid but responsible adoption of new AI technologies.
• Provide technical leadership to, and coordinate, the AI-assisted software development team and any supporting AI team members, fostering a collaborative and innovative AI community across AWE.

Additional duties:

• Build small‐scale demonstrators to de‐risk new technologies, gather real‐world evidence and generate reusable components that can be scaled by delivery teams.
• Lead knowledge‐sharing, advanced training, hackathons and community events to upskill engineers, data scientists and technologists, fostering curiosity and continuous innovation.
• Manage key external AI partnerships with vendors, research bodies and industry forums, securing early access to innovations, influencing product roadmaps to suit AWE’s needs, and bringing in external expertise to keep AWE at the cutting edge.

Who are we looking for?

We do need you to have the following:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics or a related STEM discipline.
• Proven substantial experience in AI/ML development, data science, or a related technology domain - including taking the lead in developing or evaluating complex AI solutions from concept through to implementation, and providing technical leadership to others.
• Demonstrable track record of delivering innovative technical outcomes in line with quality, safety, and security standards (for example, successfully introducing a new technology or tool within a regulated or mission-critical environment).
• Deep knowledge of modern AI and machine learning techniques and frameworks (e.g. machine learning algorithms, model lifecycle management, data engineering for AI) and the ability to apply these effectively on real-world projects.
• Excellent analytical, communication and leadership skills, with hands-on proficiency in programming and prototyping (e.g. Python, AI/ML libraries, data analysis tools), and an energetic, inquisitive and proactive approach with the integrity to thrive in a high-security, safety-first environment.

Work hard, be rewarded:

We ask a lot and set the bar high because our work truly matters. In return we offer balance, with award winning benefits including:

• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

Hybrid working is available for this role on an informal, non-contractual basis.

Next steps: Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know:

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.

About AWE: If you’re looking for a role with excitement, intrigue and something that really makes a difference then now is the time to join AWE. We are at the start of a once in a generation – possibly two generations – programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state-of-the-art capital and construction projects – some of which have never been done before.