AI / Data Science Associate

Title: AI/Data Science Associate – UAS Policy & Regulatory Innovation Location: Hybrid – London or remote with on-site meetings 1-2 days / week Contract: Fixed-term, 7 months (Sept 2025 – Mar 2026), potential to extend or make permanent Start date: ASAP Salary: Competitive, based on experience About the Project You’ll join a high-profile team working across Future of Flight projects with central government, regulators annd industry. We’re developing AI-based tools to support the development and execution of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) policy. Your work will directly help shape the UK’s approach to safe, efficient drone regulation. Role Overview You will work alongside experienced AI engineers, policy specialists, and UX developers to: • Prototype AI/NLP tools for policy analysis and consultation feedback processing • Build retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems to provide policy guidance • Prepare datasets and pipelines from structured and unstructured regulatory data • Contribute to model evaluation and iteration based on user feedback • Document technical processes and outcomes for R&D reporting Key Responsibilities • Data cleaning, transformation, and preparation for AI models • Implement and fine-tune NLP models for classification, clustering, and sentiment analysis • Assist in developing and testing AI features for internal proof-of-concept tools • Collaborate with the UX/front-end team to ensure usable outputs • Support the AI Engineer in model integration and testing Essential Skills • MSc (or strong BSc) in AI, Data Science, Machine Learning, or related subject • Python proficiency, especially in AI/ML libraries (Transformers, spaCy, scikit-learn, PyTorch/TensorFlow) • Experience with NLP tasks (text classification, clustering, summarisation) • Strong data handling skills (Pandas, SQL, API integration) • Ability to work independently and in a small, fast-moving team Desirable Skills • Knowledge of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures • Experience with front-end data visualisation (Plotly/Dash, Streamlit) • Familiarity with aviation, UAS, or regulated sectors • Experience contributing to agile software development projects What We Offer • Opportunity to work on nationally important regulatory innovation • Mentorship from senior AI engineers and policy experts • Direct influence on the tools that shape aviation policy and authorisations in the UK • Competitive salary and benefits for early-career professionals