KTP Associate in Machine Learning

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Job Description - KTP Associate in Machine Learning ()

Job Description

KTP Associate in Machine Learning ( Job Number: )

Department of Computer Science

Fixed Term - Full Time

Contract Duration : 30 months

Closing Date Closing Date : 21-Jul-2025, 10:59:00 PM

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement : Not Applicable.

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare benefits and the University's Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

The KTP Project:

The KTP Associate will lead a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project that is a collaboration between Durham University and MoniRail Ltd based in Birmingham. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme helps businesses to innovate and grow through the aid of discipline specific academic expertise. It does this by linking them with an academic supervisory team and a researcher in a university to work on a specific project.

Working alongside a close-knit team of developers and engineers, the KTP Associate will lead an innovative project to design, develop and implement predictive machine learning models for track and vehicle degradation using cutting-edge deep machine learning, and will integrate these into MoniRail's real-time monitoring system to deliver intelligent, data-driven maintenance insights.

MoniRail Ltd is a pioneering UK-based company specialising in non-intrusive, in-service railway condition monitoring. MoniRail leverages over 20 years of cutting-edge research to deliver innovative solutions for the rail industry. Their system utilises lightweight Inertial Measurement Units installed on operational passenger and freight trains to continuously monitor track geometry, ride comfort and vehicle performance. This approach enables real-time data collection without disrupting regular rail services, which enables early detection of track degradation and facilitating predictive maintenance strategies.

Durham University is home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. The Department of Computer Science is a UK Top 10 Department (Complete University Guide 2025) and ranked in the 20 th position for research excellence (REF 2021). Computer Science also holds an Athena Swan Silver Award.

Specific responsibilities:

The successful candidate will lead the development of advanced machine learning models for predictive maintenance in railway systems, working closely with MoniRail Ltd and Durham University. The primary focus will be on designing and implementing deep learning and anomaly detection algorithms to analyse large-scale, real-world sensor data collected from in-service trains. This data will be used to identify early signs of track and vehicle degradation, to allow for a shift from reactive to condition-based maintenance.

The candidate will be expected to carry out high-quality research at the intersection of AI, signal processing and applied railway engineering. They will collaborate with MoniRail's development and engineering teams to integrate developed models into the company's existing solutions, so the outputs are scalable, reliable and deployable in real-world operational settings.

In addition, the candidate will adhere to the following responsibilities:

Develop a wide range of skills within the cutting edge of computer science, through studies in state-of-the-art research, lectures and seminar attendance.

Develop technical expertise in machine learning, predictive modelling and sensor data analytics within a transport engineering context.

Implement state-of-the-art solutions and identify solutions to technical problems.

Contribute to the planning and execution of the KTP workplan to deliver on defined technical milestones.

Research, prototype and validate models using MoniRail's datasets and publicly available data and ensure that they are up to the company's and university's standards.

Communicate progress through regular project meetings and written reports.

Attend regular project meetings and periodic evaluations

Work with developers to prepare code for deployment and support product integration.

Produce technical documentation, user guides and internal training materials.

Contribute to academic outputs, including drafting research papers and conference presentations and participate in dissemination activities.

Responsible to: Dr Amir Atapour-Abarghouei , Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Durham University.

Dr Stuart James , Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Durham University.

Dr Mani Entezami, Chief Technology Officer, MoniRail Ltd.

Location:The KTP Associate will be employed by Durham University but will be based at MoniRail, Birmingham, and will be expected to spend time in Durham University to undertake the partnership's objectives.

Additional Information:

For an informal discussion about the post please contact:

A PhD degree in Computer Science or related subject, strong alternative postgraduate qualifications or significant complimentary experience.

2. Experience

Experience of conducting research and development projects in the area of machine learning, deep learning, predictive modelling and multimodal learning.

Experience in managing and processing big datasets.

Formal academic and report writing of a quality commensurate with higher education qualifications

Strong ability in programming languages, including Python, C/C++, dotNet, and one or more deep learning development environments e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow.

Knowledge of Geospatial applications of Machine Learning.

Familiarity with current software development best practices, e.g., source control, code review and continuous integration/deployment.

Managing a Linux-based system, using cloud computing resources or computer clusters.

Experience in MATLAB to understand existing aspects of codebase.

Experience using Docker for managing development and deployment environments.

Familiarity with the development of RESTful or similar APIs.

Publications in highly ranked journals and conferences.

Experience in collaboration projects with academic/industry colleagues for software development.

Experience in presenting research findings at national/international venues.

3. Skills

• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Appropriate mathematical and computational skills to be able to undertake the technical development laid out in the project description.
• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team.
• Self-motivation and ability to work autonomously and to schedule on agreed tasks.
• Presentation and communication skills to a wide target audience.

Ability to propose and discuss novel research ideas for solving a problem.

Ability to attract collaboration and opportunities for the project.

Ability to plan and manage independent research.

4. Attributes

Comfortable working cooperatively in a team, working independently on their own initiative and to strict deadlines.

Interested in research and development.

Adapting to ever-changing environment and business needs with a willingness to learn and explore state-of-the-art knowledge.

Attributes to provide high-quality input and recommendations to inform decisions of the others.
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