Data Specialist / Annotator (Image Labeller) 6-month Fixed Term Contract

Singer Instruments empower scientists in laboratories in over 60 countries to accelerate their research efforts on global challenges. We are looking for a Data Specialist / Annotator to create the high-quality datasets that train our Computer Vision models, ensuring peak accuracy and safety before deployment.

Supported by a newly secured public funding grant, we are initialising an intensive engineering phase to transition a proprietary, laboratory-validated technical imaging technology from a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 Proof of Concept into an operationally ready, commercially viable TRL 7 multi-tenant AI SaaS platform.

We are seeking a meticulous and analytical Data Specialist / Annotator to play a vital role in fuel-injecting our artificial intelligence capabilities. In this role, you will be responsible for creating the high-quality datasets that train our Computer Vision and Generative AI systems. Working alongside our Machine Learning Engineers, you will curate, label, and audit massive amounts of visual and text data, ensuring our models achieve peak accuracy and safety before deployment.

Visual data in Life Sciences is notoriously complex, and you will act as the human-in-the-loop, translating complex biological images into clean, structured training arrays.

How This Role Drives Our Computer Vision Project

Foundation models like SAM 3 and SAM 2 require precise, high-quality visual prompts to adapt to niche datasets. You will provide the exact pixel-level masks, polygons, and point prompts required to successfully fine-tune SAM 3 for our specific use cases.

For our real-time object detection pipelines (YOLO26 / YOLO11), accuracy depends entirely on bounding box precision. You will ensure thousands of training images are flawlessly labelled with minimal spatial error to prevent model confusion.

When the project scales and we use external third-party data vendors for bulk annotation, you will lead the Quality Assurance (QA) function. You will build annotation guidelines, manage vendor pipelines, and run strict statistical audits on incoming data.

By cleansing raw data, managing versioning at the dataset level, and eliminating corrupt or mislabelled files early, you will prevent "garbage in, garbage out"—saving immense amounts of expensive AWS GPU compute time.

What you'll bring to our team (key contributions)

• High-precision annotation of visual datasets (images and videos) for tasks like object tracking, instance segmentation, and landmark detection using advanced labelling tools.
• Review, filter, and structure raw data inputs, eliminating anomalies, duplicate records, or corrupt files to maintain high data integrity.
• Perform rigorous quality checks on datasets labelled by internal teams or external third-party vendors, identifying and correcting errors.
• Collaborate closely with Machine Learning Engineers within an active Agile environment, participating in daily stand-ups and tracking priorities using Jira and Confluence.
• Draft, refine, and maintain detailed data labelling documentation and taxonomies to ensure consistency across the annotation pipeline.

Who you are (essential skills & attributes)

• 2+ years of experience working as a Data Annotator, Data Specialist, or in a highly detailed data quality role.
• Hands-on experience with bounding boxes, polygons, semantic segmentation, and key-point annotation for visual models (experience with tools like Labelbox, CVAT, or RoboFlow is highly advantageous).
• Proven track record working within an Agile team structure, with daily proficiency using tools like Jira and Confluence.
• Exceptional focus and accuracy when handling repetitive data tasks over long intervals.
• Strong written and verbal communication to effectively translate model requirements into strict annotation rules.

Desirable / Nice-to-Have

• Background or prior experience working with Life Sciences, Biotech, or Medical Imaging data (e.g., identifying cellular structures, tissue types, or laboratory imagery) is a major advantage.
• Familiarity with Python or SQL to write basic scripts for automating data loading, file parsing, or bulk file renaming.
• Experience with Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), prompt evaluation, or grading generative text and image outputs.
• Familiarity with productivity aids or cutting-edge tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT) to draft annotation documentation or categorise textual data quickly.

Your journey so far (qualifications)

You will bring 2+ years of experience working as a Data Annotator or in a highly detailed data quality role. Crucially, while this outlines typical pathways, we firmly believe that the right person can come from any background. Your unique journey matters more than just a qualification.

Mandatory Grant Compliance & Eligibility

To comply with the strict terms of our public funding body, all applicants must meet the following baseline criteria:

• Sovereignty Status: Candidates must possess an absolute, unrestricted right to work in the UK (UK Nationals preferred). We cannot offer visa sponsorship or international remote working arrangements for these fixed-term packages.
• Geographic Restriction: Every hour of work, line of code, and data annotation must be executed strictly on UK soil. Working from overseas (including temporary remote working holidays) is contractually prohibited.

How to Apply

If you are ready to deliver a critical work package for this high-velocity technical automation project starting 1 July 2026, please submit your CV and a brief summary of your technical background. Please explicitly state your eligibility to work under UK Sovereignty Status guidelines.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

We encourage applications from all individuals and respect and appreciate differences and unique ways of thinking. We are flexible and can adapt both our application and assessments by discussing your individual needs first.

About us

Singer Instruments, headquartered in Somerset on the edge of Exmoor, develop laboratory automation to accelerate research for scientists who want to make the world a better place. The company supports a global customer base, across a spectrum of interests such as healthcare, antibiotics, biofuels, renewable fabrics, and plant-based alternatives to meat.

As an employee-owned company, Singer puts their people first. Singer Instruments are very proud to have won the Somerset Business Awards Employer of the Year; By supporting our teams and investing in our people, we get the best results for our customers.

Staff are highly motivated by their global scientific impact and a shared value for company culture. Table football in the staff room, boules in the Japanese garden, and table tennis and barbecues on the deck form part of our working ethos. The atmosphere is relaxed, attitudes are positive, and nobody wears a suit. Work in a rapidly growing business should be fun, so Singer take any opportunity possible to celebrate success.

HOLIDAY

Holiday: 25 days per year + 8 bank holidays (pro-rated) Zero-notice time off for surf and sun.

LOCATION

Singer, Minehead, Somerset/Remote

TYPE

Full-time - Fixed Term Contract 6-Month Work Package Strictly UK-Based (Sovereignty Grant Constraints Apply)