At a Glance
- Tasks: Own and enhance software for robotics data collection and model training.
- Company: Join a cutting-edge robotics and AI company in London.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work, and long-term contract.
- Other info: Collaborate with ML and robotics engineers in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in robotics and AI with technical ownership.
- Qualifications: 5+ years of software engineering experience, strong Python skills, and knowledge of FastAPI.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Harnham is working with a growing robotics and AI company that is looking for a Senior ML Platform Engineer to join their team in London. This is a hands-on platform engineering role, focused on owning the software, tooling, web UI, and infrastructure layer used by data operators, ML engineers, and robotics engineers. You will be responsible for building and improving the internal applications and orchestration tooling that support robot data collection, dataset workflows, model training infrastructure, and on-robot deployment.
The Role
- Own and extend internal web applications used for robot data collection, review, QA, and dataset publishing.
- Build and maintain FastAPI backends, vanilla JavaScript frontends, CLI tooling, and supporting services.
- Improve recording workflows, state machines, config validation, batch processing, stale-data recovery, and archival processes.
- Containerise and orchestrate services to ensure reliable deployment across machines and lab environments.
- Partner with ML engineers on dataset building, ingestion pipelines, distributed training infrastructure, and high-throughput data workflows.
- Work with robotics engineers on ROS2 integration, robot data streams, deployment workflows, and hardware-adjacent platform tooling.
- Improve testing, CI, observability, reliability, and performance across concurrent and IO-heavy systems.
You Must Have
- Senior-level software engineering experience, ideally 5+ years.
- Strong production Python experience.
- Experience with typing, async/await, threading, multiprocessing, and concurrent workloads.
- FastAPI or another async Python web framework.
- Vanilla JavaScript, including DOM manipulation, fetch, and WebSockets.
- Experience building internal tooling, operator tooling, platform tooling, or workflow orchestration systems.
- Strong CLI tooling experience, including argparse or Click, config validation, subcommands, and clear error handling.
- Docker, CI, automated testing, and reproducible environments.
- Strong software engineering fundamentals, including algorithms, data structures, networking, memory, IPC, and systems-level thinking.
- Experience with high-throughput data pipelines, distributed systems, or performance-sensitive IO workloads.
- Experience orchestrating external CLI tools from Python via subprocess, ideally ffmpeg or similar data/media processing tools.
It Would Be Useful to Have
- Distributed ML training infrastructure experience, such as PyTorch DDP, FSDP, DeepSpeed, sharded datasets, streaming readers, or GPU utilisation profiling.
- ROS2 experience, including publishers, subscribers, QoS, message types, and topic debugging.
- Experience working with physical robot hardware, camera streams, joint states, or latency-sensitive control paths.
- OpenCV, NumPy, pandas, PyTorch, JAX, cloud, HPC, or LeRobot dataset format experience.
- Experience working closely with ML researchers or robotics engineers in a fast-moving technical environment.
The Company
The company is building advanced robotics and AI systems and is looking for someone who can sit at the intersection of software engineering, ML infrastructure, data tooling, and robotics integration. This is a strong opportunity for a senior engineer who wants real technical ownership and the chance to build the platform layer that supports robotics data collection, model training, and deployment.
Senior ML Platform Engineer - Robotics employer: Harnham
Join a pioneering robotics and AI company in London, where you will have the opportunity to take on significant technical ownership as a Senior ML Platform Engineer. With a strong focus on innovation, the company fosters a collaborative work culture that encourages professional growth and development, offering competitive salaries and a hybrid working model that promotes work-life balance. This role not only allows you to work at the forefront of technology but also provides a unique chance to contribute to meaningful projects that shape the future of robotics.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior ML Platform Engineer - Robotics
✨Show Off Your Projects
As a freelancer in robotics and automation, it's crucial to have a solid portfolio showcasing your projects. Whether it's a robot you've built or an automation solution you've designed, having real examples demonstrates your skills to potential clients. Consider creating a dedicated website or using platforms like GitHub to host your work.
✨Join Robotics Communities
Get involved in robotics forums, local meetups, or online communities like ROS (Robot Operating System) groups. Networking in these spaces will not only keep you informed about the latest industry trends but also can lead to freelance gigs through referrals and collaborations. Plus, you'll find many clients in these circles who need your expertise!
✨Utilise Freelance Platforms
Don't underestimate the power of freelance platforms like Upwork or Freelancer. Tailor your profile to highlight your expertise in robotics and automation, and consider bidding on specific projects that match your skillset. Remember, quality proposals can help you stand out in the crowd!
✨Don’t Forget to Apply at Harnham
Keep your eyes peeled for any freelance opportunities that might pop up at Harnham. Applying directly through their website can set you apart as it shows genuine interest in their work. Plus, who knows, they might have a project that’s perfect for your skill set!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior ML Platform Engineer - Robotics
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Projects:In the robotics-automation field, having a strong portfolio is key. Highlight any projects you've worked on—whether they're personal, academic, or freelance. Be sure to include specifics like the tools and technologies you used, outcomes, and any challenges you overcame. This will show us your hands-on experience and problem-solving skills!
Tailor Your CV for Robotics:When crafting your CV, focus on showcasing relevant skills like programming languages (think Python, C++) or platforms like ROS. Make sure you highlight any certifications or courses related to automation technologies, as they can really help you stand out to us at Harnham. Keep it concise but informative!
Be Clear About Your Rates:In a freelance application, it's important to be upfront about your rates and availability. Include this info in your cover letter so we know what to expect. You can also mention your flexibility regarding hours or project timelines, which is a big plus for freelance work!
Narrate Your Learning Journey:As a freelancer, we want to know how you've developed your skills in robotics-automation. In your cover letter, share what got you interested in this field and talk about any specific experiences that have shaped your expertise. This personal touch makes your application more relatable and memorable!
How to prepare for a job interview at Harnham
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
As a freelancer in robotics automation, your portfolio is your best foot forward. Make sure it showcases your past projects, particularly those that highlight your expertise in automation technologies like PLCs, robotics programming, or AI integration. We need to communicate not just what you can do, but also how well you’ve done it in varied applications.
✨Prepare for Technical Scenarios
Expect to encounter technical questions during your interview at Harnham. They might present real-world problems that need solving, so brush up on your problem-solving skills. Being familiar with industry-standard tools and technologies can help us stand out, so dive deep into the specifics of the automation tools you’ve used in the past.
✨Know Your Rates and Value Proposition
Since you’re freelancing, be ready to discuss your rates. Have a clear understanding of your value proposition—what sets you apart from others in the robotics automation field? Practising how to articulate this can help us negotiate confidently while ensuring you get what you deserve for your skills.
✨Emphasise Flexibility and Collaboration
Freelancing often means working with multiple clients or teams, so be prepared to discuss how you manage your workload and collaborate effectively. At Harnham, they’ll likely appreciate someone who can adapt to different team structures and timelines, so weave in your past experiences working in collaborative settings.
