Principal AI Research Engineer

Are you interested in a unique opportunity to help shape and deliver the UK National AI Research Resource (AIRR) service? We are looking for a highly experienced and enthusiastic AI Engineer to work on Dawn: (https://www.hpc.cam.ac.uk/d-w-n) which is part of the UK AIRR: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-research-resource/airr-advanced-supercomputers-for-the-uk) and provides world-leading, AI-specialised computing capacity for public and academic researchers, and small and medium size enterprises. Dawn is now being deployed for use in globally impactful research fields such as clean energy, personalized medicine and climate science and we need your help to develop tools and workflows to drive exploitation of this world leading resource. You will also play a key role in fostering a vibrant community of AI and HPC practitioners, helping to build networks that accelerate research collaboration and knowledge sharing across the UK's research ecosystem.

Who you will be working with

The role is based in the University of Cambridge's Research Computing Services a leading UK National Supercomputing Centre that provides facilities and services to world-renowned scientists, clinicians, and engineers across the UK and beyond. You'll be part of a growing team of specialist AI, Software, and Systems Engineers dedicated to supporting use of Dawn, working with a wide range of stakeholders across multiple disciplines and national institutions.

What you will do

• Leadership: Lead diverse AI projects, adapting your approach to meet the specific needs of clients and teams.
• Community engagement: Lead initiatives to build and nurture the Dawn user community, convening workshops and networking events that bring together researchers from different disciplines and institutions.
• Mentorship: Design and deliver training programmes for both novice and experienced users, creating pathways for skill development within the AI/HPC community
• Community-driven innovation: Facilitate user groups and special interest communities around specific research domains (climate science, healthcare, greener energy, etc.) to drive domain-specific innovation.

What you will have

• Experience of leading and developing a team of highly technical specialists.
• Practical experience with some or all of Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Statistical Modelling techniques. Experience with Large Language Model training and fine-tuning frameworks would be welcome.
• Proficiency in software engineering.
• A good understanding of data structures and algorithms and data-oriented approaches to problem-solving.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with experienced as well as novice clients and stakeholders.
• Experience in community building, user engagement, or developer relations within technical communities.
• Alongside a significant knowledge of AI tools and techniques, an interest in working with High Performance Computing is essential but experience is not crucial as long as you have the right attitude and enthusiasm.

What we can offer

• Opportunities to represent the organisation at national and international conferences.
• Budget for community events and professional development activities.
• Connection to a broader network of AI and HPC professionals across the UK and internationally.
• 41 days holiday per year, including bank holidays.
• A generous pension.
• Hybrid working. You can work some of the time from home, coming into the office as and when required.
• A friendly and supportive team environment.
• The opportunity to shape and influence how we work.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check and a security check.

We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for flexible working arrangements.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Queries should be directed to [email protected] in the first instance quoting reference VC43086.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.