Data Engineer

Data Engineer / Data Scientist (Imaging & Data Labelling)

Location: Southwest UK (On-site/Hybrid)

Clearance: Sole British National with active SC Clearance

Engagement: Contract – Outside IR35

Overview:

We are seeking a skilled Data Engineer / Data Scientist with strong experience in data labelling and imaging datasets to support a critical defence-related project in the Southwest UK. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in building and managing data pipelines, annotating and labelling image-based data for machine learning workflows, and working within secure environments. You will be a key contributor in preparing high-quality datasets to support AI and ML initiatives in a mission-critical context.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain robust data pipelines to ingest, clean, transform, and store large volumes of imaging data.
• Lead and support the data labelling process—developing tools and workflows for efficient annotation of image and video data.
• Work closely with ML engineers and data scientists to ensure datasets are model-ready.
• Perform exploratory data analysis to identify data quality issues and labelling inconsistencies.
• Implement QA and validation processes to ensure labelling accuracy and consistency.
• Contribute to automation of labelling workflows using computer vision tools and Python-based frameworks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in a secure, SC-cleared environment.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience as a Data Engineer or Data Scientist with hands-on exposure to data labelling processes.
• Strong experience with image data , ideally in defence, aerospace, or industrial domains (e.g., satellite, UAV, thermal imaging).
• Proficient in Python and libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, OpenCV, TensorFlow, or PyTorch .
• Experience with data annotation tools (e.g., Labelbox, CVAT, VIA, or custom platforms).
• Strong knowledge of data handling best practices in secure environments.
• Experience designing and managing ETL pipelines and working with structured/unstructured data sources.
• Active SC Clearance and sole British nationality are mandatory due to project sensitivity.

Desirable:

• Experience in defence or government programmes .
• Familiarity with cloud-based ML toolsets (e.g., AWS SageMaker Ground Truth, Azure Custom Vision).
• Knowledge of computer vision models and their data requirements.
• Experience managing annotation teams or quality control processes.

Additional Details:

• This role is classified as Outside IR35 .
• Candidate must be based or willing to work on-site in the Southwest UK .
• Flexible working considered depending on security and project requirements.