Staff Scientist

In a world of immense uncertainty, digiLab is a pioneering AI company that empowers governments and organisations in safety-critical or highly regulated industries to solve critical, complex, and high-stakes challenges using machine learning and uncertainty quantification.

From forging a path to clean energy to life-saving medical diagnostics and beyond, making critical decisions with unwavering confidence is difficult, especially when data is complex, sparse, or incomplete. This is where digiLab’s expertise shines through.

Our trustworthy and explainable AI platform, The Uncertainty Engine, supported by our team of machine learning specialists and data scientists, enables decision-makers to accelerate innovation, reduce the risk of failure, turn insight into action, and deliver greater value through more informed and confident decisions.

Summary: 

A Staff Scientist contributes strongly to scientific development within theLab by owning and advancing significant areas of research, shaping scientific agendas and standards, and representing theLab’s work with external credibility and authority.

Operating with significant autonomy and external visibility, Staff Scientists steward internationally credible research programmes, contribute materially to theLab’s scientific reputation, and influence the intellectual culture of the organisation through technical excellence and thought leadership — without transitioning into organisational or operational management.

The Role: 

In this role, you will shape theLab’s research trajectory and external scientific presence: 

• Own and lead significant fields, programmes, or portfolios of scientific inquiry, shaping research direction, priorities, and standards.
• Design and guide coherent research projects and programmes that advance theLab’s long-term scientific capability and strategic intent.
• Engage with real-world problems as contexts for scientific inquiry, leading work to test, refine, and apply research ideas to achieve tangible impact.
• Exercise deep scientific judgement on complex or ambiguous problems, setting expectations for rigour, methodology, and interpretation.
• Act as a scientific authority in external engagements, partnerships, and collaborations, representing theLab’s work and contributing to its reputation.
• Contribute to theLab’s research profile through publication in top tier journals, open repositories, conference participation, and other externally visible outputs.
• Provide structured technical and intellectual mentorship to scientists across theLab, supporting the development of technical depth, judgement, and expertise.
• Shape and steward research-grade tools, libraries, and methodological frameworks as scientific artefacts, ensuring they support reproducibility, clarity, and reusability within research contexts.
• Influence theLab’s scientific culture by exemplifying high standards of rigour, curiosity, openness, and constructive challenge.

Duties may evolve, and you may be asked to take on other reasonable responsibilities within your competence to support our growth.

Ways of working

• Remain scientifically engaged through review, synthesis, and judgement, maintaining sufficient depth of understanding to credibly arbitrate priorities, standards, and trade-offs across theLab.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of AI to ensure research agendas are viable, well-supported, and appropriately resourced.
• Engage with Product and delivery teams through bounded scientific authority and consultation, without assuming ownership of execution.

Required Skills: 

• Advanced qualification (PhD or equivalent research experience) in AI, machine learning, computational science, mathematics, physics, or related discipline.
• Internationally recognised and evidenced track record of scientific contribution in one or more areas of technical specialisation.
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading research programmes or portfolios.
• Strong publication record and evidence of sustained external scientific engagement.
• Deep expertise in AI/ML methodologies, modelling, and evaluation frameworks.
• Ability to synthesise developments across multiple fields and identify long-term research opportunities.
• Experience contributing to major research collaborations and/or funding applications.
• Exceptional scientific judgement and ability to define and uphold rigorous standards.

Location: 

This role is based on-site at digiLab’s offices on the Quay, Exeter/Bristol/Oxford or Hybrid with frequent visits to the office.

As an ambitious, rapidly-growing start-up, we’re looking for proactive, adaptable people who thrive in a fast-paced environment. Our standard working hours are 9.00–5.30pm, Monday to Thursday, though some flexibility outside these hours may be required to meet business needs.

Our Culture and Values
At digiLab, we prioritise work-life balance with a 4-day workweek (Monday to Thursday), offering a full-time salary and three-day weekends every week! Our team is built on strong connections, with regular socials like game nights, bouldering, and paddleboarding.

We foster a culture of innovation, trust, and collaboration. Our values include:

• Creativity & Agility: Encouraging innovation and flexibility in goal achievement.
• Trust & Responsibility: Supporting each other in taking calculated risks for bold innovation.
• Open & Honest Collaboration: Ensuring transparent communication and alignment.
• High-Performance Standards: Continuously challenging ourselves to excel in delivery.
• Value-Driven Work: Regularly assessing our contributions toward company goals.

Benefits:

We value enthusiasm and loyalty, and we’re committed to offering a great work-life balance. Along with the exciting challenges this role provides, we offer a range of benefits including:

• 4-day working week
• Competitive Salary
• BUPA private health care (via salary sacrifice)
• Company Cashplan 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Referral Program 
• Company Events 
• Discretionary EMI scheme (eligible to be considered after one year with the company; participation is not guaranteed and is entirely at the company's discretion.)

Equal Opportunities:

digiLab is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are fair, inclusive, and legally compliant. We take equality, dignity, and non-discrimination seriously. 

Final Note:

We aim to respond to every applicant, but due to high application volumes, we may not be able to respond individually. Thank you for your interest in joining the digiLab team.  The information you provide will be stored and used in line with our Privacy Notice.