Job Information
Activate Group Limited Senior Software Developer in Remote, United Kingdom
Senior Software Developer Location: Remote Department: IT Contract type: Permanent / Full-time About the role
We're looking for a Senior Software Developer to join our IT Team and play a key role in combining hands-on development of AI- powered solutions, requiring strong machine learning engineering skills. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in building production-ready ML systems and a proven track record of deploying AI solutions at scale.
Activate Group is a growing UK business with 1,000+ team members nationwide. This is an exciting opportunity to build a long-term career with a company that values its people and offers genuine development and progression opportunities.
Key responsibilities
AI/ML Development
Design, develop, and deploy machine learning models and pipelines using Python
Build and maintain end-to-end ML systems from data ingestion to model serving
Implement deep learning solutions using PyTorch and TensorFlow
Develop and optimize NLP solutions and computer vision applications
Create scalable feature engineering and data preprocessing pipelines
Build model training, evaluation, and monitoring frameworks
Implement MLOps practices for continuous model improvement
Design and maintain vector databases for similarity search and RAG applications
Integrate LLMs and foundation models into production applications
Optimize model inference for latency and throughput requirements
Software Development
Write clean, efficient, and maintainable Python code following best practices
Build RESTful APIs and microservices for ML model serving
Develop data processing pipelines using Apache Spark and Airflow
Implement real-time streaming solutions for ML features
Design and optimize database solutions for ML workloads
Build monitoring and observability solutions for ML systems
Contribute to system architecture and infrastructure decisions
Implement comprehensive testing strategies for ML applications
Skills and experience
We're looking for candidates who have experience with some of these technologies and are eager to learn others.
Core Technologies
Python: Expert level - 5+ years of production experience
Machine Learning Frameworks: PyTorch and/or TensorFlow - 3+ years
ML Libraries: scikit-learn, XGBoost, LightGBM - Strong proficiency
Data Processing: pandas, NumPy, Spark - Expert level
Deep Learning: CNNs, RNNs, Transformers - Practical experience
Version Control: Git proficiency with focus on ML workflows
ML/AI Specific Skills
Experience with LLMs (GPT, Claude, Llama) and prompt engineering
Vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate, Chroma, or similar)
RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) implementation
Computer Vision libraries (OpenCV, PIL, torchvision)
NLP libraries (spaCy, NLTK, Hugging Face Transformers)
Model optimization techniques (quantization, pruning, distillation)
A/B testing for ML models
Feature stores and data versioning
Infrastructure & MLOps
Container technologies: Docker and Kubernetes for ML workloads
ML platforms: MLflow, Kubeflow, or similar
Cloud ML services: AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, or GCP Vertex AI
Model serving frameworks: TorchServe, TensorFlow Serving, FastAPI
Distributed training experience (Horovod, DDP)
GPU optimization and CUDA programming basics
Monitoring tools: Weights & Biases, Neptune, or similar
Data pipeline orchestration: Airflow, Dagster, or Prefect
Additional Technical Skills
Database systems: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
Message queues: Kafka, RabbitMQ for ML pipelines
RESTful API and gRPC development
Microservices architecture for ML systems
Data engineering fundamentals
Security best practices for AI systems
Performance optimization for inference
Required Soft Skills
Communication: Ability to explain complex ML concepts to non-technical stakeholders
Collaboration: Experience working with cross-functional teams including data scientists
Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills for debugging ML systems
Research: Ability to read and implement academic papers
Innovation: Track record of applying cutting-edge AI techniques
Experience & Education
Experience: 5-8+ years of software development with 3+ years focused on ML/AI
Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field; Master's/PhD preferred
Industry: Experience deploying ML models in production environments
Working Methodology
Agile/Scrum experience with ML projects
Familiar with experiment tracking and reproducibility
Experience with iterative model development
Focus on continuous learning and improvement
Desirable (but not essential):
Published research papers or patents in ML/AI
Contributions to open-source ML projects
Experience with edge deployment and model optimization
Knowledge of reinforcement learning
Experience with multi-modal models
Familiarity with ethical AI and bias mitigation
Cloud certifications in ML/AI services
Benefits
We believe in rewarding our people for the great work they do. When you join Activate Group, you can expect:
33 days holiday, including bank holidays
Personal health cash plan – claim back the cost of everyday healthcare such as dental and optical check-ups
Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay
Life assurance at three times your basic salary
Free breakfasts and fresh fruit
A birthday surprise for everyone
What you can expect from us
At Activate Group, we want everyone to have the tools and support they need to do their best work. We're an innovative business that continuously reviews and improves our systems, processes and ways of working, making sure they support our teams to do their jobs effectively.
Every role at Activate Group is aligned to our wider business vision and purpose – making someone's bad day better. You'll understand how your role contributes to the bigger picture and how your work helps deliver excellent outcomes for customer and partners.
We believe work should be enjoyable. We make time to celebrate success, recognise achievements and bring people together at team events and company-wide celebrations. We'll also support your ongoing development through regular feedback and career planning.
Whether you're based in one of our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough or Huddersfield, working at an Activate Accident Repair (AAR) site, or working from home, you'll be part of a supportive culture where people are encouraged to succeed.
A bit about us
Activate Group is a fast-growing business approaching 1,000 team members nationwide.
We work with some of the UK's largest fleets and insurance companies, supporting drivers that have been involved in road incidents through our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough and Huddersfield.
We manage every step of the repair journey - repairing vehicles at our own Activate Accident Repair (AAR) body shops, as well as through a UK-wide network of trusted independent repair partners.
We also work with the UK's largest vehicle manufacturers, supporting their approved repair programmes, and deliver innovative technology solutions to fleets, vehicle repair centres and dealerships.
Our purpose & values
Our purpose underpins everything we do: Make someone's bad day better
Our values define how we work with our team members, customers and suppliers:
Make it happen – Be accountable. Take the initiative, work fast, and do a great job.
Strive for better – Be bold. Challenge the norm - make small improvements often.
Win together – Be a team player. Win together, learn together, respect each other.