AI / Machine Learning Engineer (KTP Associate)
| Company: | University of Derby |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £35,000 - £36,600 |
| Hours: | Full-time |
| Location: | Derby, DE22 1GB |
| Working pattern: | On-site |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Posting date: | 12 Aug 2026 |
| Closing date: | 1 Sept 2026 |
Summary
ZapCarbon is an award-winning UK environmental innovation company that develops low-carbon technologies and data-driven solutions to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and create healthier homes. Since its founding in 2006, the company has worked with public and private sector organisations to deliver practical innovations that support sustainability, energy optimisation, and net-zero ambitions.
ZapCarbon's values are centred on sustainability, innovation, collaboration, and social responsibility. Through a strong commitment to research and development, the company seeks to deliver practical, scalable solutions that tackle real-world challenges such as energy consumption, damp and mould prevention, fuel poverty, and carbon reduction.
As a KTP Associate, you will join a forward-thinking organisation with a proven track record of innovation and a passion for developing technologies that contribute to a more sustainable future.
About the Role
University of Derby’s College of Science and Engineering in partnership with ZapCarbon Ltd are offering an exciting career-development opportunity to manage and deliver a challenging strategic Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project. Based at ZapCarbon’s premises in Leighton Buzzard, you will be employed by the University as a KTP Associate but work under the terms and conditions of the company.
You will lead a major innovation programme, developing and delivering a scalable, AI-driven system that enables housing providers to better interpret and act on large-scale building data, improving maintenance decision-making, reducing costs and supporting the decarbonisation of housing stock.
Working at the heart of the business, you will take ownership of the full project lifecycle from acquiring and integrating multiple data sources, developing and validating machine learning models, building data pipelines and dashboards, and translating technical outputs into actionable insights for operational and strategic stakeholders.
This is an exciting opportunity to manage and deliver a challenging strategically important project working with academic mentors and key support from the company to transfer academic expertise into a real-world business environment. This role offers significant career development, providing hands-on experience in applied AI, machine learning, data engineering and digital innovation within a commercial environment.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
This full-time post is part-funded by the UK Government’s KTP programme. A KTP is a three-way project between a graduate, an organisation and a university. KTP is one of the UK’s largest graduate recruitment programmes and has been placing graduates on challenging, high profile projects for 50 years. In addition to a competitive salary and core KTP development training, you will have a dedicated budget of £4,000 further training and career development. To find out more about the scheme visit: ktp-uk.org/graduates
Please note by completing an application form for this role, you are giving your consent for us to share your personal data with the KTP partner.
About You
We are looking for a highly motivated and technically skilled individual who is excited by the opportunity to apply advanced data science and AI techniques to real-world challenges. You will hold a Master's degree in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science or a closely related discipline, or a Bachelor's degree in a related field backed by substantial relevant experience, and you will bring proven experience of developing machine learning models using complex, multi-source datasets.
You will be confident working across the full data lifecycle from data engineering and model development through to deployment into practical tools such as dashboards or decision-support systems and able to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
Strong programming skills in Python, alongside proficiency in SQL, are essential, as is a solid understanding of machine learning workflows, model validation and performance evaluation. You will be comfortable designing scalable analytical solutions, integrating data from a variety of sources (including sensor data), and working with visualisation tools such as Power BI.
Just as importantly, you will be organised, proactive and able to manage your own workload, balancing multiple priorities and delivering to deadlines within a fast-paced, collaborative environment. The role involves collaborating with senior managers, operational teams, academic experts and external partners, so you will need the confidence and interpersonal skills to engage people at all levels, explain complex ideas clearly, and bring others with you on the journey.
We are particularly interested in candidates who are a strong technical foundation in machine learning and data engineering, the ability to translate analysis into real-world applications, and a genuine interest in applying your expertise to sustainability, housing and net zero challenges.
Benefits
Whilst you will be employed by University of Derby, your terms and conditions will be that of ZapCarbon Ltd.
Key Contact
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Christopher Sansom, Zero Carbon Research Theme Lead via c.sansom@derby.ac.uk
For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk
Important Information
This role may be eligible for sponsorship by the University.
The offered salary for this role is less than the going rate for the occupation and the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route (£41,700 per annum, as of 22nd July 2025). Therefore you will only be eligible to apply for a Skilled Worker visa subject to your individual circumstances which must meet one of the following criteria set out by UKVI:
Your job is on the Immigration Skills List
You’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training
You have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job
You have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education
You must also meet the English Language requirement.
Please note that the University will assess your individual eligibility for sponsorship at the shortlisting stage.
For more information, visit our website.
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