Be at the heart of actionFly remote-controlled drones into enemy territory to gather vital information.

Apply Now

AI Engineer (data science & software)

Southampton Football Club
Southampton
21 hours ago
Create job alert

Role: AI Engineer (data science & software)

Location: St Marys Stadium

Contract Type: Consultant – 6 months (full time hours)

Criminal Record Check: Basic

What is the role?

The role will architect, build and deliver the technical foundations of a digital information product to market within the football industry and will be an exciting opportunity for a founding engineer where you’ll be hands-on building pipelines, APIs, and AI-powered features that scale globally, while shaping the engineering culture and standards.

What will you be doing?

You will act as the technical owner of the platform, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders to evolve its capabilities and ensuring it delivers maximum value, whilst powering insights, automation and effective data to support data-driven decision making.

You will be responsible for building and maintaining the platforms core data pipelines and architecture, ensuring it is secure, reliable, and analytics ready, along with being the technical owner of the platform, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders such as coaches, product leads and commercial teams to evolve its capabilities, ensuring it delivers maximum value to the club.

You will also:

  • Write clean, tested and documented code.
  • Build and maintain scalable data pipelines and work with cloud-based data platforms (Azure, AWS or GCP).
  • Utilise and develop Python based services, internal tools and lightweight APIs to compile data analysis or automation, in addition to Azure data services and tiered data architectures.
  • Leverage and embed AI/ML features to maximise efficiency and support in the delivery of the project.
  • Monitor reliability, cost and quality whilst fixing issues fast and transparently.

Is this you?

In order to succeed in this consultancy role you’ll need to be a creative builder, part data scientist, part software engineer, who is a problem solver and thrives on prototyping, iterating, and shipping solutions that balance speed, quality, and cost-efficiency.

Essential Skills and Experience:

  • Strong Python skills for data engineering and analysis (pandas/PySpark, testing).
  • ETL/ELT design (dbt or equivalent), APIs/webhooks, JSON/Parquet fluency.
  • Comfort with startup-style ambiguity where you are experienced in working in various roles within the project along with proven ability to ship end-to-end.
  • Master’s degree in data science or software engineering.
  • Keen interest in football or sport.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

  • Azure Data Factory/Synapse/Fabric; Databricks or Spark.
  • N8N, Airflow, Prefect, or Dagster for orchestration.
  • Experience with feature stores, vector DBs, or search pipelines.

How can I apply?

Just click on the apply button, enter your details and answer a quick pre-screening questionnaire, then attach your CV.

The closing date for this role is the 19th October 2025.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates.


#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

AI Engineer (data science & software)

Ai Engineer / Data Scientist

Artificial Intelligence Jobs - AI Engineer

Artificial Intelligence Engineer

Artificial Intelligence Engineer

Artificial Intelligence Engineer

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

AI Recruitment Trends 2025 (UK): What Job Seekers Must Know About Today’s Hiring Process

Summary: UK AI hiring has shifted from titles & puzzle rounds to skills, portfolios, evals, safety, governance & measurable business impact. This guide explains what’s changed, what to expect in interviews, and how to prepare—especially for LLM application, MLOps/platform, data science, AI product & safety roles. Who this is for: AI/ML engineers, LLM engineers, data scientists, MLOps/platform engineers, AI product managers, applied researchers & safety/governance specialists targeting roles in the UK.

Why AI Careers in the UK Are Becoming More Multidisciplinary

Artificial intelligence is no longer a single-discipline pursuit. In the UK, employers increasingly want talent that can code and communicate, model and manage risk, experiment and empathise. That shift is reshaping job descriptions, training pathways & career progression. AI is touching regulated sectors, sensitive user journeys & public services — so the work now sits at the crossroads of computer science, law, ethics, psychology, linguistics & design. This isn’t a buzzword-driven change. It’s happening because real systems are deployed in the wild where people have rights, needs, habits & constraints. As models move from lab demos to products that diagnose, advise, detect fraud, personalise education or generate media, teams must align performance with accountability, safety & usability. The UK’s maturing AI ecosystem — from startups to FTSE 100s, consultancies, the public sector & universities — is responding by hiring multidisciplinary teams who can anticipate social impact as confidently as they ship features. Below, we unpack the forces behind this change, spotlight five disciplines now fused with AI roles, show what it means for UK job-seekers & employers, and map practical steps to future-proof your CV.

AI Team Structures Explained: Who Does What in a Modern AI Department

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are no longer confined to research labs and tech giants. In the UK, organisations from healthcare and finance to retail and logistics are adopting AI to solve problems, automate processes, and create new products. With this growth comes the need for well-structured teams. But what does an AI department actually look like? Who does what? And how do all the moving parts come together to deliver business value? In this guide, we’ll explain modern AI team structures, break down the responsibilities of each role, explore how teams differ in startups versus enterprises, and highlight what UK employers are looking for. Whether you’re an applicant or an employer, this article will help you understand the anatomy of a successful AI department.