At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead ML engineering for cutting-edge AI projects and turn research into robust systems.
- Company: Join OXFIDA, an innovative AI R&D company in Oxford, bridging academia and industry.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible remote work options, and opportunities for career growth.
- Other info: Collaborate with top researchers and enjoy high visibility in your work.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on privacy-preserving AI solutions that shape the future.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in ML engineering, strong Python skills, and experience in production environments.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
OXFIDA (formerly Aioi R&D Lab – Oxford) is an AI R&D company based in Oxford, on a mission to harness AI to understand, predict, and manage risk, helping build a safer, more resilient society.
We sit at the intersection of academia and industry, working with Oxford's professors and researchers alongside commercial partners, and combining that expertise with real-world risk data at global scale to turn frontier research into AI that actually ships rather than just gets published.
Our work spans AI for insurance underwriting and claims, AI risk governance, privacy-preserving technologies for agentic AI, and quantum optimisation, alongside partnership projects on nature and supply chains and the emerging challenges nobody's solved yet.
We build AI products and solutions for insurers, businesses, and public-sector organisations worldwide, and run innovative research projects that push these technologies further, helping people make better decisions in an uncertain world.
See risk clearly.
Contract
18-month fixed-term contract from signing (running to 11th of March 2028), with a view to extending (11th Sept 2029) or moving to permanent as a second round of programme funding is confirmed (Sept 27 we should know on this)
Location
Oxford office. Hybrid would be great however we are comfortable with full remote for the right person.
The role
You'd be joining CODAS, our flagship sovereign AI programme, built in partnership with Japanese public and private sector organisations and academic collaborators at Oxford and UCLA.
The goal is a privacy-preserving generative and agentic AI ecosystem that protects personal and sensitive data by design, through data residency, anonymisation, secure deployment, and privacy techniques that hold up at both training and inference time.
As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer your job is to take what the research side proves works and turn it into something dependable enough to run in a live, privacy-sensitive, multi-partner environment.
You'll set the ML engineering and MLOps direction for your workstreams and act as technical lead on how research gets built, tested, and shipped.
What you'll do
- Lead the ML engineering and MLOps direction for assigned CODAS workstreams.
- Design, build, test, and maintain the ML services, data pipelines, evaluation tooling, and deployment-ready applications that make up the programme's technical deliverables.
- Translate research outputs into systems that are actually robust and maintainable, not just proofs of concept.
- Adapt AI/ML approaches for privacy-sensitive, security-conscious, regulated deployment contexts.
- Improve OXFIDA's internal tooling, engineering standards, and reusable frameworks: the kind of work that outlasts any one project.
- Mentor ML engineers and research associates, and communicate technical trade-offs clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
- What you'll bring
- A STEM degree (Computer Science, Maths, Stats, Physics, Engineering, or similar) or equivalent practical experience, plus 5+ years' relevant experience.
- Very strong Python engineering skills: clean, tested, well-documented code, not just working code.
- A track record of shipping ML/AI or data-driven systems into production or near-production environments.
- Solid experience with Linux, Docker, version control, CI/CD, and service-oriented deployment.
- The ability to work across the full lifecycle, from experimentation through to integration and operationalisation, and to mentor others along the way.
Bonus points
generative AI/LLM application experience, privacy-preserving or compliance-sensitive systems work, multi-partner programme experience, or a background in regulated industries.
- You'll be the person turning frontier research into something that actually runs, with high ownership and high visibility.
- Real influence: the engineering standards and tooling you build become OXFIDA's default, not just your project's.
- Direct collaboration with Oxford researchers and international technology partners on a genuinely ambitious sovereign AI programme.
- This is a fixed-term contract tied to CODAS's current funding cycle, but there's a genuine intent to extend and move roles to permanent as a second funding round is confirmed.
It isn't a contract designed to end.
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Senior Machine Learning Engineer in Oxford employer: OXFIDA
OXFIDA is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of AI research and application in the vibrant city of Oxford. With a strong emphasis on collaboration between academia and industry, employees benefit from a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and personal growth, alongside competitive remuneration and flexible working arrangements. The chance to lead impactful projects in a supportive environment, while contributing to meaningful advancements in risk management, makes OXFIDA a truly rewarding place to build your career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Machine Learning Engineer in Oxford
✨Get Involved in Open-Source Projects
Diving into open-source projects is a brilliant way to showcase your skills and connect with other developers in the community. Not only will you beef up your GitHub profile but you might also catch the eye of someone at OXFIDA who values hands-on experience over just theory.
✨Attend Local Tech Meetups
Tech meetups are gold mines for networking and discovering job opportunities, especially in the fast-paced world of software engineering. Check out local listings for events in your area and don’t shy away from introducing yourself. This could lead directly to a temporary position at OXFIDA!
✨Showcase Your Work Online
With temporary roles, it’s all about standing out in a short space of time. Create a portfolio website where you highlight your projects and skills. Talk about your code, and provide links to your GitHub repositories. This will not only demonstrate your abilities but will also make it easier for recruiters at OXFIDA to see what you bring to the table.
✨Leverage Temporary Job Boards
Don’t forget to check specialised job boards for temporary software development roles. Websites like We Work Remotely or Remote OK often list short-term gigs that can be a perfect fit. Apply directly through our website as well, making sure your application is sharp—temporary roles can move fast!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Machine Learning Engineer in Oxford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tech Skills:Make sure your CV highlights your tech stack and any programming languages you’re proficient in. Include specifics about any frameworks or technologies you’ve worked with; they can make you stand out in the sea of applicants. It’s all about showing that you have the chops we need at OXFIDA!
Portfolio 2.0:Since you’re applying for a temporary gig, it’s super important to showcase a portfolio that highlights your best projects. Include links to GitHub or any personal projects that demonstrate what you can do in a real-world environment. This gives us a taste of your style and your problem-solving approach!
Keep It Brief and Relevant:With a temporary position, we want to see your ability to hit the ground running. Be concise in your CV and cover letter; stick to experiences that directly relate to the role. Highlight any previous temporary roles or freelance gigs that show your adaptability and quick learning!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Don’t just send a generic cover letter. Personalise it for Senior Machine Learning Engineer at OXFIDA! Mention why this temporary role excites you and how you see yourself contributing in the short run. Show us what you've got and why you're the one for this quick turn-around!
How to prepare for a job interview at OXFIDA
✨Nail the Technical Skills
For a software engineering role, you'll likely face technical questions or coding tasks during your interview. Brush up on the relevant programming languages and frameworks that OXFIDA uses, and don’t forget to practice some coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank. Showing your coding prowess can really make you stand out!
✨Prepare for System Design Questions
Even for a temporary role, having a grasp of system design principles can be crucial. Be ready to discuss how you would architect a software solution, including discussing trade-offs, scalability, and performance considerations. Having examples from previous projects can really show off your analytical thinking.
✨Demonstrate Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, you'll want to emphasise your ability to hit the ground running. Highlight experiences where you quickly adapted to new technologies or teams. Let’s make it clear to the interviewers at OXFIDA that you can learn on the job and deliver results in a short timeframe!
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
Make sure to have a portfolio or GitHub ready showcasing your projects. Having tangible evidence of what you've done—be it personal projects, contributions to open-source, or previous work—can convey how capable you are. Tailor this for what might interest OXFIDA, so it's relevant and sparks conversation during your interview.
