Senior ML Engineer - Machine Learning

Senior Machine Learning Engineer 

At Sainsbury’s, Machine Learning is central to how we deliver better experiences and smarter decision-making across the business. As a Senior ML Engineer, you’ll play a key role in one of our cross-functional squads - helping to design, build, and run scalable ML systems that create real value for customers and colleagues. 

You will -

• Work closely with engineering, data science, product, and architecture peers to deliver robust, production-ready machine learning solutions.
• Provide technical leadership within the team, contribute to shaping best practices, and drive the successful delivery and sustainability of ML capabilities.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the technical delivery of ML solutions from design through to deployment, including feature engineering, training, testing, serving, and monitoring.
• Partner with Data Scientists to co-design scalable model pipelines and infrastructure that enable experimentation, rapid iteration, and reliable production deployments.
• Work as the technical lead for engineering within a cross-functional squad, collaborating closely with Engineering Managers, Data Science Managers, and Product Managers to ensure successful delivery of ML solutions.
• Ensure solutions align with architectural principles, engineering standards, and long-term sustainability goals.
• Contribute to the development and adoption of MLOps and software engineering best practices.
• Mentor engineers, participate in code reviews, and help raise the technical bar.
• Drive innovation by exploring and implementing tools and patterns that improve scalability, observability, and developer experience.
• Take ownership of non-functional aspects of ML systems including cost efficiency, scalability, reliability, and maintainability.

Who you are:

• Experienced ML engineer with a strong record of deploying and operating machine learning systems in production.
• Deep understanding of the ML lifecycle and associated engineering challenges (feature pipelines, model deployment, observability, drift detection, retraining).
• Proficient in Python and tools such as MLflow, Airflow, Docker, and cloud services (ideally Azure).
• Skilled in building scalable, maintainable ML pipelines using modern engineering practices.
• Experienced with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and able to define, manage, and version infrastructure using tools like Terraform or similar.
• Able to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams, balancing technical quality, delivery speed, and business value.
• Strong communicator and technical contributor who can support and mentor peers.
• Advocates for automation, engineering excellence, and cost-conscious solution design.
• Familiar with infrastructure concepts including containerisation, IaC, and cloud platform operations.

#LI-SE1

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Think about the scale it takes for us to feed the nation. The level of data, transactions and variety it involves. Then you’ll realise that ours is a modern software engineering environment because it has to be. We’ve made serious investment into a Tech Academy and into setting standards and principles. We iterate, learn, experiment and push ways of working such as Agile, Scrum and XP. So you can look forward to awesome opportunities in everything from AI to reusable tech.

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new - whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:
 
 Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to get 10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.  
 
 Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy additional holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, pay advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme, you will also be eligible for private healthcare too.

Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave. 
 
 Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).