The Centre for Vision, Speech, and Signal Processing is seeking to recruit a Research Software Engineer to support major research projects in generative AI, computer vision and LLM development. You will join an established research group within a highly rated research department, with an excellent computing and software infrastructure for first class research, modern facilities and close links with industry. Surrey’s Institute for People-Centred AI builds on 40 years of work into foundational AI at the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) which is ranked 1st in the UK for Computer Vision and in the top-5 for both Audio-Visual AI and Robotics (CS Rankings, 2025).
The post sits within Professor Bowden’s sign language research group at CVSSP, which leads a portfolio of major collaborative projects developing AI for sign languages. These include SignGPT, a five-year EPSRC Programme Grant with the University of Oxford and UCL building tools to translate automatically between spoken language and photo-realistic sign language video in both directions; UMCS, a UK and Japan collaboration developing real-time sign language translation in everyday conversation; and a Google.org-funded project reducing the cost of sign language translation through AI.
The Research Software Engineer will support and contributing to related research across the group, working on data management, front end demonstration software, AI model training, and inference and prediction, and on the construction and maintenance of a visual language toolkit that supports the research collaboration and its dissemination activities. The applicant should preferably have a PhD in a related area, but experience of software development in a research environment is key. Previous experience of sign language recognition and translation would be advantageous but not essential. The candidate should have good analytical and programming skills and experience of computer vision and machine learning; previous experience of real-time systems development in Python, PyTorch and deep learning would be desirable.
The post will also involve full-stack software development to turn research models into usable tools and demonstrators, so experience of back-end development (for example REST/API services, databases and containerised deployment) and of building web front-ends to expose models and data is highly desirable. Applicants are expected to be proactive, to support others and to be self-motivated. The post is full time and offered for 3 years in the first instance. Salary will be in the range £37,694 to £56,535 per annum, on Levels 4 and 5. The work will involve Deaf people and users of British Sign Language (BSL), and through wider collaborative links, users of other international sign languages. Knowledge of sign language and awareness of Deaf culture would be advantageous. Deaf candidates with suitable experience would be welcome to apply.
The University of Surrey is a global university with a world-class research profile and an enterprising spirit, located in one of the safest counties in England, within 35 minutes of London by train and minutes away from the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Recent investments have seen the opening of a world-class Sports Park and important updates to central facilities.
We can offer a generous remuneration package, which includes relocation assistance where appropriate, an attractive research environment, the latest teaching facilities and access to a variety of staff development opportunities.
Informal enquiries related to the project to Professor Richard Bowden by e-mail:
[email protected].
Please upload your CV and a covering letter.
Further details
For more information and to apply online, please download the further details and click on the 'apply online' button.
In return we offer a generous pension, relocation assistance where appropriate , flexible working options including job and blended home/campus working locations (dependent on work duties), access to world-class leisure facilities on campus, a range of travel schemes and supportive family friendly benefits including an excellent on-site nursery.
The University of Surrey is committed to providing an inclusive environment that offers equal opportunities for all. We place great value on diversity and are seeking to increase the diversity within our community. Therefore we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities.
#divSocialMedia { padding:10px 0; overflow:hidden; } #divSocialMedia span { margin-right:5px; } #divSocialMedia div { display:inline-block; margin:10px 5px; } #divSocialMedia a { font-size:1.5rem; font-family:sans-serif; border:1px solid #888; border-radius:50%; padding:8px; } #divSocialMedia i { font-size:1.5rem; } #divSocialMedia a:focus { outline-offset:2px; }
Job Details
Department
Centre of Vision, Speech & Signal Processing
Location
Guildford
Salary
£47,389 to £56,535
Fixed Term
Post Type
Full Time
Closing Date
23.59 hours BST on Friday 03 July 2026
Interview Date
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Reference
029326
