Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Job summary

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) helps businesses invest, innovate, export and grow across the UK. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate helps to deliver this by designing, building and running the services, platforms and technology that businesses and colleagues rely on every day.

Our teams work on a wide range of services and technologies, including:

• digital services that help businesses access government support, guidance and opportunities

• data and AI products that support decision making and enable innovation

• internal tools and services that help colleagues work more effectively

• secure technology and platforms that support critical government services

• cyber security services that protect systems, data and users

By joining DDaT, you'll work on services used by businesses, colleagues and citizens across the UK. You'll be part of multidisciplinary teams focused on improving services, solving complex problems and delivering better outcomes for users.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace. In recognition of this, we were named Best Public Sector Employer at the Women in Tech Employer Awards 2025!

Job description

The Senior Machine Learning Engineer plays a leading role in building the department’s machine learning engineering capability, turning data science and AI opportunities into secure, production-grade services that meet user needs and can be operated, assured and improved over time.

In this role, you will work across multidisciplinary teams, collaborating with data scientists, software engineers, platform engineers, product managers, user-centred design colleagues and senior stakeholders to translate complex organisational challenges into scalable and sustainable machine learning solutions. You will provide technical direction on machine learning engineering, helping teams make effective architectural and engineering decisions and ensuring solutions are secure, reliable and designed for production environments.

You will lead work across the full machine learning lifecycle, from data preparation, feature engineering and model development through to deployment, monitoring and continuous improvement. You will champion strong software engineering and MLOps practices, including automated testing, version control, CI/CD, model monitoring and assurance, helping establish consistent engineering standards for machine learning products.

As a senior practitioner, you will help shape the department’s approach to machine learning and AI by turning good practice into usable standards, patterns and operating models. You will identify opportunities where these technologies can deliver value, provide technical leadership and assurance, promote responsible and ethical AI, and develop machine learning capability through coaching, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

The post will also contribute to the development of the department’s machine learning engineering profession, helping define what good looks like for production machine learning, responsible AI delivery and reusable engineering practice across teams.

Main responsibilities

You will:

• Lead the design, development and deployment of complex machine learning solutions, providing technical direction and ensuring solutions meet user and organisational needs
• Provide technical leadership across the machine learning lifecycle, from data preparation and feature engineering through model development, evaluation, deployment, monitoring and continuous improvement
• Set and champion engineering standards and best practice for machine learning development, including testing, version control, code review, documentation, security and maintainability
• Lead the adoption and development of MLOps practices, including CI/CD, automated testing and deployment, model monitoring and reproducible machine learning workflows
• Influence the department’s strategic approach to machine learning and AI, identifying opportunities for innovation and helping translate organisational priorities into deliverable technical solutions
• Provide technical guidance and assurance on machine learning solutions, making informed decisions around architecture, scalability, performance, reliability and technical risk
• Work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams, influencing technical and non-technical stakeholders and communicating complex machine learning concepts clearly to support effective decision-making
• Champion responsible, ethical and secure AI, ensuring fairness, transparency, privacy, bias, cyber security, data protection and appropriate model assurance are embedded throughout the development lifecycle
• Build machine learning engineering capability across the organisation by sharing knowledge, coaching practitioners, strengthening communities of practice and helping establish the standards, patterns and learning environment needed for sustainable delivery
• Promote innovation and continuous improvement, evaluating emerging approaches and technologies and considering where they could improve the department’s machine learning products and services

Person specification

It is essential that you have:

• Experience of leading the end-to-end machine learning lifecycle, from working with large or complex datasets and feature engineering through to model development, deployment, monitoring, assurance, incident response and continuous improvement in production environments (Lead Criteria)
• Significant experience of programming and software engineering, using languages such as Python or similar to design and develop high-quality, scalable and maintainable machine learning solutions, applying strong engineering practices including version control, testing and code review
• Strong experience of designing, developing and evaluating machine learning models, applying appropriate machine learning, statistical and mathematical techniques to solve complex real-world problems
• Experience of MLOps and CI/CD practices, including automated testing and deployment, model monitoring and reproducible workflows, to support reliable and sustainable machine learning services
• Experience of providing technical leadership and setting technical direction, making informed decisions on architecture, engineering approaches, scalability and technical risk while establishing and championing high engineering standards
• Experience of influencing strategy and collaborating across multidisciplinary teams, translating organisational priorities into technical approaches, communicating complex information effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders, and helping build organisational capability through standards, coaching and reusable engineering practices

It is desirable that you have:

• Experience of designing and deploying machine learning solutions within cloud environments, such as AWS, Azure or GCP, including containerisation, infrastructure as code, observability, security controls and operational support
• Experience of responsible AI and model assurance, including applying approaches relating to data ethics, privacy, fairness, transparency and bias

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices
• Programming and build (software engineering)
• Communicating between the technical and non-technical
• Data ethics and privacy

Benefits

If you join us, you will get:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A flexible, hybrid working environment with options like condensed hours
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• An employee benefits programme including cycle to work

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two-page CV and complete a 750-word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.

Sift will be from week commencing 2nd November 2026

Interviews will be from week commencing 16th November 2026

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at the lead criteria ‘Experience of leading the end-to-end machine learning lifecycle, from working with large or complex datasets and feature engineering through to model development, deployment, monitoring, assurance, incident response and continuous improvement in production environments’ only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.

How we interview

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework.

How we offer

Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. BIST's requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• security services record
• location details

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. BIST employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by BIST, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure in the candidate pack attached to this advert.

Find out more about life at BIST, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : DDaT Recruitment
• Email : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at Resourcing@trade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints

Attachments

DDaT Candidate Pack (BIST) Opens in new window (pdf, 569kB)