AI Data Engineer

Details of the role:

Working pattern: This is a 1 year Fixed Term position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary: From £60,670 with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Application closing date: 20th of April 2026 at 23.59pm

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role

We’re looking for a skilled AI Data Engineer to help shape and scale the data foundations that power our machine learning and AI innovation. Joining the Data Management & Analytics Platform Team, you’ll work at the cutting edge of data engineering, building the platforms and pipelines that enable our data scientists and ML engineers to train, deploy, and monitor models with speed and confidence. In this role, you’ll transform raw data into production ready AI datasets, optimise data infrastructure for demanding ML workloads, and ensure reliability, governance, and performance across the entire AI lifecycle. You’ll take the lead on critical AI data infrastructure, ensuring our data is robust, trusted, and ready to support large scale AI ambitions.

What you will be doing

You will:

• Contribute to the design and implementation of end-to-end data pipelines that support AI and ML workflows
• Work with senior engineers to select and implement data storage solutions, processing frameworks, and orchestration tools
• Design, build, and maintain scalable batch and streaming data pipelines for AI/ML evaluation and use cases
• Prepare, clean, transform, and version datasets for model training and inference
• Collaborate with data scientists and ML engineers to support model training, evaluation, and deployment
• Ensure data quality, reliability, and monitoring across AI pipelines
• Implement data validation, schema enforcement, and anomaly detection
• Apply best practices for data security, privacy, and compliance
• Full lifecycle development (design, implementation, documentation, testing and ongoing support) of integrations to agreed requirements.

Please see full job description here

About you

You will have:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Strong programming skills in Python
• Solid experience with SQL and data modelling
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
• Understanding of machine learning workflows
• Experience supporting ML pipelines (training, inference, monitoring)
• Experience with CI/CD for data and ML systems
• Strong software engineering fundamentals (testing, version control, code reviews)
• Experience of project management on key data platform projects.

Minimum criteria

About Working at the Crick

Our values

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture. We are bold . We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. We are open . We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. We are collegial . We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: karen.au@crick.ac.uk

Find out more about life at the Crick.

What will you receive?

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK
• Generous Leave : 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme : Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well-being : 24/7 GP consultation services. Occupational health services and mental health support programs. Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance : Back-up care for dependents. Childcare support allowance. Annual leave purchase options. Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks : Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts. Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed. We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.