At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of cutting-edge machine learning systems that make everyday tasks easier.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking AI company focused on impactful technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with a focus on continuous learning and diversity.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI innovation and help shape the future of smart assistants.
- Qualifications: Experience in building real ML systems and strong coding skills required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 98000 £ per year.
- Staff Machine Learning Engineer
- Department: Engineering
About the Company
The company is building an AI-native smart assistant designed to help everyday users manage conversations, tasks, organisation, and workflows with minimal prompting.
The product is focused on delivering reliable AI systems capable of long-running workflows, persistent context, multi-step reasoning, and real-world task completion.
The goal is to help users complete everyday tasks significantly faster through intelligent automation.
The Role
As a
Staff Machine Learning Engineer (Technical Lead, Machine Learning) , you will own the execution layer of the company's AI platform.
Working at the intersection of research, infrastructure, and product, you'll be responsible for turning research direction into reliable, scalable, production‑grade machine learning systems.
You'll ensure models are trainable, deployable, observable, and perform‑able in real‑world environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end ML system execution across data pipelines, training workflows, evaluation systems, inference architecture, and deployment.
- Fine‑tune and adapt models using advanced techniques such as Lo RA, QLo RA, SFT, DPO, and distillation.
- Architect and operate scalable inference systems while balancing latency, cost, and reliability.
- Design and maintain data systems supporting both synthetic and real‑world training data.
- Build evaluation pipelines covering performance, safety, robustness, and bias.
- Own production deployment, including GPU optimisation, memory efficiency, latency reduction, and scaling strategies.
- Collaborate closely with application engineering teams to integrate ML systems into backend, mobile, and desktop products.
- Make pragmatic trade‑offs and deliver improvements rapidly based on real‑world usage.
- Work within production constraints including reliability, cost, latency, and safety.
- Technology Stack
- Python
- Py Torch
- JAX
- GPU‑based training and inference systems
- Ideal Experience
- Technical Skills
- Experience building and deploying real machine learning systems used by customers.
- Strong understanding of large‑scale machine learning models and their failure modes.
- Ability to write robust, production‑grade code.
- Experience architecting scalable ML infrastructure and production systems.
- Leadership & Personal Attributes
- Technical leadership experience within ML teams.
- Strong ownership mindset and accountability for outcomes.
- Self‑directed, pragmatic, and highly execution‑focused.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Comfortable operating in fast‑moving, high‑trust environments.
- Success Measures
- Translate research and modelling work into production‑ready ML solutions with measurable performance targets.
- Build stable, scalable, and maintainable ML pipelines, training systems, and inference infrastructure.
- Rapidly detect, investigate, and resolve production issues.
- Support and enable other ML engineers to deliver high‑impact work efficiently.
- Deliver measurable improvements in model performance, reliability, and user outcomes over time.
- Balance innovation with operational excellence and system reliability.
- Working Environment
The company believes exceptional products are built by small, world‑class teams with high talent density.
The culture values ownership, speed, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Team members are expected to exercise judgement, execute independently, and contribute to building AI products capable of delivering meaningful impact at global scale.
Diversity & Inclusion
We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, so if there is anything we can do to make our recruitment processes better for you and to allow you to show your best self, let us know.
We also understand that some people require extra time to complete assessments, require alternative application methods and can also benefit from having interview questions or a guide to the type of questions pre‑interview.
We are open to any suggestions or requests that you may have and are always looking for creative ways to assess talent.
Our commitment to you is that you should always feel safe and secure when you’re working with us.
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Staff Machine Learning Engineer employer: Futureheads
As a Senior Scala Developer with us, you'll be part of a dynamic team dedicated to delivering impactful solutions for the public sector. We pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative work culture that values technical leadership and innovative problem-solving, offering you the chance to grow your skills while working on meaningful projects. With flexible remote working options and opportunities for long-term engagement, we ensure that our employees are supported in their professional development and well-being.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Machine Learning Engineer
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Futureheads or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Futureheads.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Futureheads.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Futureheads that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Staff Machine Learning Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Futureheads.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Futureheads and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Futureheads
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Futureheads uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.