Title:  Senior AI & Machine Learning Engineer - NESO

About the role

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated AI / Machine Learning Engineer to join our dynamic and innovative team. This pivotal role focuses on the practical implementation, scaling, and deployment of cutting-edge machine learning and Generative AI solutions. You will be a key player in bridging the gap between data science and software engineering, taking ownership of building robust, scalable, and production-ready AI systems on our AI platform.

As a senior member of the team, you will translate complex business challenges into tangible technical solutions, guiding projects from ideation through to production. You will be instrumental in shaping the future of AI within our organisation, mentoring junior engineers, and championing best practices to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value. You will be responsible for setting the standards and best practices to enable models into Production, to run with high resilience and automation This is an opportunity to make a significant impact in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. 

This role can be based from Wokingham or Warwick and we continue to offer hybrid working from office and home. We are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements. 

Key Accountabilities

• Model Deployment & Integration: Design and implement robust deployment pipelines for machine learning and deep learning models, ensuring seamless integration with our existing business applications and infrastructure.
• MLOps & Automation: Champion and implement MLOps best practices to automate the entire machine learning lifecycle, from data preparation and model training to deployment and monitoring.
• System Architecture: Architect and build scalable, high-performance systems for serving AI models in real-time and batch-processing scenarios.
• Generative & Agentic AI Systems: Lead the design and deployment of advanced AI solutions, including LLMs and AI agents capable of autonomous decision-making and task execution.
• Performance Monitoring & Optimisation: Establish comprehensive monitoring of model performance, system health, and resource utilisation. Proactively identify and address bottlenecks to ensure optimal efficiency and accuracy.
• Infrastructure Management: Collaborate with platform teams to manage and optimise the underlying cloud infrastructure, ensuring it meets the demands of our AI workloads.

About you

We’re forging the path, and we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need visionary minds like yours to join us on this transformative journey. In this case, we’re looking for someone who:

Cloud Platforms Experience:

• Extensive hands-on experience with major cloud providers, ideally Azure. Familiarity with services related to compute, storage, networking, and AI/ML, such as Azure Machine Learning and Azure Kubernetes Service.
• Desirable: Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform), Cloud certifications (Azure or others).

Programming Expertise:

• Expert in Python and its data science ecosystem, with deep experience in ML/DL frameworks like PyTorch. Familiarity with TensorFlow, scikit-learn, and Hugging Face is advantageous.

Machine & Deep Learning Passion:

• Strong theoretical and practical understanding of machine learning and deep learning concepts.

Generative & Agentic AI Experience:

• Demonstrated experience with Generative AI, including fine-tuning LLMs, RAG, and prompt engineering. Knowledge of AI agents and development of agentic systems is highly desirable.

MLOps Experience:

• Proven experience in building and maintaining MLOps pipelines with tools like Azure DevOps and Kubernetes. Familiarity with MLFlow, Hugging Face, or LangChain, and experience deploying AI solutions on cloud platforms.

Data Engineering Skills:

• Strong skills in data pipelines, ETL processes, and handling large datasets. Proficiency in SQL and NoSQL databases is expected.

About what you’ll get

A competitive salary between £61,000 – 81,000 – dependent on experience and capability.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on company performance, 26 days annual leave as standard and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.

You will also have access to a comprehensive benefits package tailored to support your well-being and professional success. From a competitive salary to flexible work arrangements, we promote your work-life balance. Enjoy fit for purpose wellbeing and lifestyle offerings, ongoing skill development aligned to our Purpose and Values, and be part of a supportive community that values your individuality and where you can belong.

About us

National Energy System Operator (NESO) has a key role to play in tackling climate change by transitioning GB’s electricity system to net zero. We already operate the fastest decarbonising electricity system in the world, with an ambition for zero carbon power operation by 2030 when there is sufficient renewable generation. We are also providing advice to the Government on achieving a decarbonised power system by 2030.

So, join the energy transformation and help shape the future.

Your energy, our future, together.

About the National Energy System Operator (NESO)

In Autumn of 2024, the ESO transitioned to National Energy System Operator, or NESO for short. Previously denoted as the Future System Operator (or FSO), the new National Energy System Operator is the independent body responsible for planning Great Britain’s electricity and gas networks and operating the electricity system.  

The ESO, including all of its existing roles, are now at the heart of the new National Energy System Operator. As NESO, we will build on our existing roles, capabilities, and ways of working significantly to create an organisation the energy system and its users’ need. Our new capabilities will enable us to look across vectors, including electricity, natural gas and hydrogen, and crucially consider the trade-offs between them.

The organisation is set up as a public corporation with its own Board of independent directors, with complete operational independence from government, the regulator and any and all commercial interest. As was the ESO, NESO will be licenced and regulated by Ofgem through price control agreements and obligated to identify optimal solutions to system operations and planning in the most sustainable, affordable and secure way for all.

The time to deliver is now. As part of our team, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in Great Britain – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

More information

This role closes on 14/08/2025 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary. 

We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. 

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.
#LI-SP1