Senior AI​/ML Engineer Hybrid

The Opportunity

Working alongside the AI/ML Lead, you will play a senior role in shaping and delivering new research and innovation programmes focused on advanced AI techniques with a clear path toward deployment and commercial relevance.

Initial focus areas include:

• Agentic AI systems
• Energy systems flexibility
• Creative industries applications
• Emerging work across generative AI, reinforcement learning, neuro-symbolic AI, verifiable AI, and MCP-style architectures
• You will work closely with academic partners, industry collaborators, and funding bodies, translating cutting-edge research into usable systems, IP, and demonstrators.

• Lead and contribute to original AI/ML research at the forefront of the field
• Design and advance work in agentic AI, generative models, RL, neuro-symbolic and verifiable AI
• Build proofs-of-concept and demonstrators using modern AI/ML tooling and architectures
• Help develop commercial IP from research outputs
• Collaborate with universities, research labs, and industry partners to turn theory into practice
• Contribute to and shape R&D funding proposals
• Influence the wider AI research strategy, helping teams understand where the technology is heading
• Publish, present, and represent the organisation at conferences and technical forums
• Mentor junior engineers and researchers, supporting capability growth and hiring
• Act as a technical authority when engaging with SMEs and enterprise partners

Essential

• Strong track record of independent AI/ML research
• Deep understanding of current AI techniques and emerging directions
• Experience delivering or contributing to funded R&D programmes
• Ability to manage multiple research initiatives in parallel
• Confident communicator who can translate between academic research and industrial application
• Hands-on experience with standard AI/ML tools, platforms, and architectures

• Industry experience alongside research background
• Experience turning R&D into commercial IP
• Exposure to energy, creative industries, or telecoms
• Experience working in multi-partner, multi-stakeholder research environments

• You will help build a new AI research centre from the ground up in the Bristol/Bath ecosystem
• Long-term research agenda, not short-term delivery pressure
• Direct involvement in shaping UK AI capability and national programmes
• Genuine freedom to explore advanced AI approaches while keeping a line of sight to impact
• Strong links across academia, industry, and government

If you are an AI/ML engineer who enjoys working at the edge of technology, but wants your work to matter beyond prototypes, this is a rare opportunity to be involved in.

RSG Plc is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.