Salary: £49,170 - £63,915
Location: Cambridge - Triangle/Hybrid (2 days per week in the office)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week)
We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.
Shape the future of AI-powered learning solutions with Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation, and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.
This is an exciting opportunity for Machine Learning Research Engineers to join our innovative Applied AI team. You'll contribute to developing, deploying, and maintaining cutting-edge AI capabilities that drive the success of Cambridge English's products and services.
About the role
As a Machine Learning Research Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and advancing AI-powered solutions that enhance Cambridge English products. Your expertise will contribute to the continuous improvement of existing models and the development of cutting-edge technologies that address future business needs.
Additional responsibilities and accountabilities include:
- Develop, deploy, and maintain scalable AI-powered solutions for Cambridge English products.
- Optimize and modularize models for reusability and performance.
- Collaborate with product, validation, and business teams to transform capabilities into impactful product features.
- Stay at the forefront of AI and machine learning trends to position Cambridge as a leader in AI-driven assessment and learning.
- Plan, prioritize, and manage own tasks aligned with business objectives.
This position has been classified as a hybrid role, requiring the selected candidate to typically spend 40-60% of their time collaborating and connecting face-to-face at their dedicated location. Aside from our hybrid principles, other flexible working requests will be considered from the first day of employment, including other work arrangements should you require adjustments due to a disability or long-term health condition.
About You
We are recruiting for one position and welcome applications from both strong junior and mid-level candidates. We expect to appoint at the level that best reflects the successful candidate's demonstrated skills and experience. While our preference is for a mid-level appointment, we remain open to appointing an exceptional junior candidate.
To thrive in this role, you'll have a passion for AI-driven innovation and the ability to turn ideas into scalable solutions.
Essential Qualifications & Skills:
- Master's degree (or equivalent qualifications and experience) in machine learning or AI/computer science with substantial machine learning component
- Proven hands-on industry experience (minimum 2 years, not including internships) in designing, developing, and deploying machine learning solutions in production environments.
- Advanced programming skills in languages such as Python with a strong focus on code optimization, modular design, and efficiency.
- Deep expertise in developing, training, and deploying models using frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow.
- Demonstrated experience in building scalable, production-grade AI services and automated data pipelines with tools like Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS).
- Strong understanding of data analysis, model evaluation, and error analysis to drive continuous model improvement.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively in Agile/Scrum teams and contribute to cross-functional projects.
- Exceptional communication skills for articulating complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning, staying current with state-of-the-art research and applying emerging AI techniques to solve business problems.
If you meet the above minimum requirements, we encourage you to apply. Your application will be even stronger if you can also demonstrate the following desirable criteria:
- PhD or equivalent qualification and experience in Machine learning or AI/Computer Science
- Experience in applying Natural Language Processing and/or Speech Technology techniques to solve real-world problems.
- Experience applying machine learning to educational assessment and learning solutions.
- Hands-on experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) or foundation models, including fine-tuning and adapting models for specific, production-level applications.
- Contributions to patents or peer-reviewed research publications in machine learning or related AI fields.
For a detailed job description, please refer to the link at the bottom of the advert on our careers site.
We are a Disability Confident (DC) employer that is committed to equality and inclusion ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme's Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt in, and disclose a disability or a long-term health condition, and who best meet the minimum criteria for the role. In instances where interviewing all qualifying candidates is not practicable and/or appropriate, we prioritise those who best meet the minimum criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long-term health condition.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please refer to the gov.uk website for guidance to understand your own eligibility based on the role you are applying for.
Rewards and benefits
We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world-class, flexible rewards package, featuring family-friendly and planet-friendly benefits including:
- 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Group personal pension scheme
- Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary
- Green travel schemes
Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now.
We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be 23 June 2026. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place from the week commencing 30 June 2026.
If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect:
- A short virtual screening interview, followed by a virtual technical interview via Microsoft Teams that will include a role-related live coding exercise and technical questions.
If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process due to a disability or a long-term health condition, there will be an opportunity for you to inform us via the online application form. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.
We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. As such, applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. Please refrain from sending your CV directly to our recruiters. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the Recruiter.
Why join us
Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You will belong to a collaborative team that is exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the globe – for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it is safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background.
We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and communities, actively seeking to employ people from a wide range of different communities
