Principal AI scientist – Perm- UK remote

Principal AI Scientist – Learning \& Assessment AI Location: UK Remote (Candidates must be UK based) Salary: £110,000 – £125,000 Employment Type: Permanent The Opportunity We’re working with an innovative technology-led organisation that is transforming how AI is used within learning, assessment, and workforce skills development. They are seeking a Principal AI Scientist to lead the scientific design, validation, and evolution of next-generation AI-powered assessment and learning solutions embedded directly into the flow of work. This is a senior individual contributor role suited to someone with deep expertise across AI/ML, psychometrics, measurement science, and production-scale intelligent systems. The successful candidate will operate as a scientific authority within the organisation, shaping methodology, influencing product direction, and ensuring AI-driven solutions are fair, explainable, scalable, and scientifically rigorous. The role offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of modern AI systems, applied research, and enterprise-scale product delivery. The Role As Principal AI Scientist, you will take ownership of the scientific and methodological direction of AI-enabled learning and assessment products. You will work closely with product leadership, engineering teams, data scientists, and domain experts to translate advanced research into production-ready systems that deliver measurable user and business outcomes. This position requires someone comfortable operating in highly complex environments with significant technical, ethical, and commercial considerations. Key Responsibilities Scientific Leadership \& Product Ownership * Lead the scientific strategy for AI-enabled assessment, learning, and skills products * Define robust methodologies balancing innovation, scalability, fairness, validity, and explainability * Act as the senior scientific authority for assessment and measurement decisions * Establish scientific standards, reusable frameworks, and evaluation methodologies * Lead validation studies to ensure reliability, consistency, fairness, and performance stability * Define and monitor scientific KPIs including drift detection, bias indicators, and model effectiveness * Identify and mitigate scientific and measurement risks associated with AI systems at scale AI, Machine Learning \& Modern AI Systems * Apply AI and machine learning techniques, including LLMs and foundation models, to learning and assessment use cases * Support development of AI-powered capabilities such as: + Skills inference + Adaptive assessment + Automated content generation + AI-driven feedback and reasoning systems * Contribute to the evaluation and governance of agentic AI workflows * Partner with engineering teams to ensure scientific integrity is maintained throughout implementation and deployment * Support lifecycle monitoring and continuous improvement of production AI systems Research, Innovation \& Strategic Influence * Translate research findings into scalable, commercially viable product capabilities * Produce thought leadership content including whitepapers and scientific insights * Influence product and AI strategy through scientific expertise and evidence-based recommendations * Support internal and external discussions around responsible AI and ethical AI implementation * Engage with enterprise stakeholders and senior leadership on scientific and AI-related topics Required Experience * Advanced degree (MSc or PhD preferred) in: + Psychometrics + Educational Measurement + Statistics + Machine Learning + Artificial Intelligence + Data Science + Or equivalent commercial experience * Proven experience building or leading AI-enabled assessment or measurement systems * Deep expertise in validation methodologies, statistical modelling, and measurement theory * Strong applied experience with machine learning and AI systems in production environments * Practical understanding of modern AI architectures including Large Language Models (LLMs) * Experience collaborating closely with engineering and product teams * Ability to influence technical and strategic decisions through expertise rather than direct authority * Experience operating in complex, high-ambiguity environments with significant business or ethical risk considerations Desirable Experience * Experience applying LLMs within learning, workforce skills, or assessment products * Exposure to adaptive testing, continuous assessment, or automated item/content generation * Experience evaluating or governing AI agentic workflows * Background within learning technology, education technology, workforce development, or skills ecosystems * Experience working on enterprise-scale or long-lived AI platforms What They’re Looking For * A scientifically rigorous thinker with strong commercial awareness * Someone passionate about responsible and explainable AI * Comfortable balancing research innovation with practical delivery * Strong communicator able to work across technical and non-technical audiences * A collaborative leader who enjoys solving complex real-world problems Package * £110,000 – £125,000 salary * Fully remote role within the UK * High-impact position within a cutting-edge AI environment * Opportunity to influence next-generation AI products at scale Please note: Applicants must be based in the UK. Sponsorship is not available for this position.