Senior Data Scientist - Robotics

“We are on a mission to transform the future of grocery retail through sustained technology innovation.”

Ocado Technology is putting the world’s retailers online using the cloud, robotics, AI, and IoT. We develop the innovative software and hardware systems that power Ocado.com, the world’s largest online-only grocery retailer as well as the global ‘Ocado Smart Platform’. With everything from websites to fully autonomous warehouse that we design in-house, our employees need to be specialists in a wide range of technologies to help drive our business.

A little about the team...

We are building a new data science team in Retrieval Robotics. Our tech stack will be focussed on Google Cloud Platform for capturing data and building models, helping software engineers to transfer and run those models on the bots' embedded systems. Training models offline then deploying to semi-autonomous systems is an exciting challenge and we are at the beginning of that journey - this is a great opportunity to shape that process. 

What will you do?

As a Data Scientist working in Retrieval Robotics you will work closely with the team leads, product stream, engineering team and other data scientists to identify, scope, plan and manage projects, and effectively communicate complex technical issues and findings to a range of technical and non-technical internal audiences.

You will work on projects that impact the economics of building and operating the robots that form the core of the OSP offering, whilst also improving the service we are able to offer to our partner retailers. These include adding more capability to the robots themselves to monitor, assess and predict their own health. You will be given autonomy in how you approach these problems and will be encouraged to research and seek out innovative solutions.

Communication is key; you will be in constant contact with business stakeholders and will need to work with developers both within the team and in other technology areas to ensure that your solutions are properly productionised and can be supported.

We're interested in people with..

• Proven experience designing and implementing machine learning models and pipelines in production.
• A strong academic record including a degree in mathematics, the sciences, data analytics or similar.
• Strong programming skills in Python and SQL.
• Good knowledge of TensorFlow, Keras and other common machine learning toolkits (e.g. scikit-learn).
• Solid understanding of neural networks.

Bonus points if you also have: 

• Experience with time series data.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform.

What we can offer you

Our employee benefits are designed for you, we care about people and we’ve ensured we have a wealth of benefits that focus on your well-being. We can offer technically stretching work, a competitive salary and;

• Flexible working patterns and options for remote working (depending on your role/team)
• Wellbeing support through Apps such as Unmind and an Employee Assistance Programme
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 5 years service (plus optional holiday purchase)
• Pension scheme (various options available including employer contribution matching up to 7%)
• Private Medical Insurance
• 22 weeks paid maternity leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (once relevant service requirements complete) 
• Train Ticket loan (interest-free)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free shuttle bus to and from Hatfield Train Station to the Hatfield offices 
• Opportunity to participate in Sharesave and Buy as You Earn share schemes
• 15% discount on Ocado.com and free delivery for all employees
• Income Protection (can be up to 50% of salary for 3 years) and Life Assurance (3 x annual salary)

We also have regular divisional socials, sports clubs not to mention the Ocado Technology Academy for a packed schedule of courses, conferences and events. If you think you have what it takes to make a difference, please submit your application below.

We are thrilled to welcome applicants from across the world. Whilst we are able to offer visa sponsorship, please note that we are only able to cover the company-specific costs. For all employment offers made for UK roles, it is expected that you will be based in the UK in commutable distance, ready for your first day of work, so please keep this in mind. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Due to the energising nature of Ocado's business, vacancy close dates, when stated, are indicative and may be subject to change so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have applied and been rejected for this role in the last 6 months, or applied and been rejected for a role with a similar skill set, we will not re-evaluate you for this position. After 6 months, we will treat your application as a new one. All benefits information is subject to change and the terms of the individual arrangements.

Be bold, be unique, be brilliant, be you. We are looking for individuality and we value diversity above gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, disability or union participation. We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly and equally.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive barrier-free recruitment process and supportive work environment. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application. 

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