Picture this
The startup lifestyle awaits you in Dorset, with its historic charm, modern living, and vibrant community. You’ll be working on a codebase that is currently 100% free of technical debt - because it doesn't exist!
Your future self may have to justify decisions like opting for a microservice implementation, why you named an SQL table the way you did, or why the workaround you employed on day 6 still exists years later. You'll even get to share war stories about the “duct tape” that held together the early demos before key infrastructure components were completed, the resourcefulness with limited resources, and the early scaling challenges!
The beauty of it is if you stick with it, you will have helped to bring an ambitious product to life, made lifelong friends with one of the most innovative teams in media and entertainment, and been part of a tiny accessibility company that grows into something your fingerprints will be on forever.
Who we are
Since 2017, Signly has had a singular mission: to deliver sign language everywhere.
You’ll be working at a unique organisation – we’re a world first and the only organisation doing what we do at scale.
Signly is not a typical tech. company – we're assembling a dynamic team with a diverse skill set. Our focus is on improving accessibility for deaf people who use sign language. We achieve this by translating written and digital content into sign language. This effort is achieved through a shared belief in the transformative power of artificial intelligence and workflow automation for translators.
Leveraging advanced technology such as augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI), Signly's app and services aim to enhance the way sign language users interact with various forms of content, making information more accessible and inclusive.
By integrating our technology into websites, mobile apps, and public spaces, Signly helps organizations communicate more effectively with the deaf community, breaking down barriers and ensuring that information is accessible to everyone, regardless of their hearing ability.
Through our pioneering work, Signly is not just a technology provider but a champion of digital inclusivity, empowering the deaf and community with the tools they need to navigate the world more easily.
Who you are
You are going to be one of the first engineers joining this company and a new codebase is going to grow because of your contributions. You aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty and this is your chance to be at the ground floor of a new product.
You’ll be creating novel machine learning approaches to computer vision, natural language processing, language comprehension and translation right at the cutting edge of industry knowledge, research and design.
Key Traits
* You think like a plumber. Or a city planner
* You are an exceptional Engineer who demonstrates AI/ML academic excellence, possesses robust research skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with product and design both independently and as part of a team, without the need to be micro-managed
* You possess a broad technical knowledge
* You will be learning how to go from 0 to 1, working with exceptional Engineers
* You have an ability to troubleshoot, think critically, and provide effective solutions to technical problems
* You are a quick learner
* You’ll own the development of new end-to-end ML capabilities: building and deploying in both the frontend and backend codebases
* You’ll write solid, clean and consistent code. Given we are a startup, our expectations are high — and you’ll be expected to be an A+ contributor from day two. (We’ll give you a day to get going 😉)
* You apply a strategic approach to triaging and prioritising work across multiple, competing axis
* You are curious - not afraid to dive into a technology you haven’t ever touched before, leaving any pre-dispositioned opinions behind and bringing a fresh mind to a new problem space
* You’ll come to understand how to balance the speed of development, the performance requirements of the feature, and the future scalability of the product
* You’ll come to understand how to move fast in an environment where things are sometimes loosely defined and may have competing priorities or deadlines
* You thrive on creative problem-solving and excel at facilitating collaboration within cross-functional Agile teams
* You are able to explain complex technical concepts in simple terms to non-technical and mixed audiences
* You have the ability to play close attention to the details, to separate fact from belief or hypothesis, and to identify what is not known about a problem
* Your can accurately document your work and understand that this skill is a vital asset in this role.
* Your commitment to inclusivity and your passion for serving diverse user communities, including signers, is essential.
* Applications from sign language users are particularly welcome.
Indicative competency levels
You are likely on track to graduate at the top of your class in Summer 2025 with a first-class honours Batchelor’s degree, HND, or equivalent qualification in Software Engineering with AI, Artificial Intelligence Engineering, or a related discipline with a strong AI element.
That said, we recognise that excellence comes in many forms. You might instead be someone who can demonstrate excellence of interest and capability in AI equivalent to the above through your coursework, personal projects, research, or other relevant experience.
You will ideally have acquired and maintained a good spread of skills and knowledge across the following skillsets at the indicated competency levels.
Where examples or details of our stack are given below, you don’t need to have those technologies under your belt, but demonstrating an equivalent competency and an ability to quickly cross-train will be important. Similarly, you’ll need to be able to convince us (and demonstrate) that you can quickly plug any knowledge/competency holes you do have.
* Competent working with:
* Python as your main language for data and ML development
* Building new ML models from first principles
* At least one machine learning framework (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras)
* Working with numerical computing using NumPy, pandas or equivalent
* Data pipelines and cloud-based data processing. This could be Azure Data Factory, Apache Airflow, or similar
* Strong understanding of machine learning principles, including training, overfitting, model evaluation and metrics
* An area of applied ML such as:
* Natural Language Processing
* Computer Vision
* Generative AI (GANs, LLMs, transformers)
* Time series or sequential models (seq2seq)
* Some experience working with:
* Cloud-native development such as AWS, Azure, GCP (we use Azure) and concepts like event-driven architecture or microservices.
* Monitoring and observability tools such as Azure Monitor, Prometheus, Grafana, or similar
* Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Bicep, Pulumi, etc.)
* Performance tooling and scalable ML frameworks (e.g. NVIDIA ML stack, NIMs, cuDF, cuPy)
* ML operations (MLOps), DevOps practices, and CI/CD workflows
* Emerging areas like neuromorphic computing or 3D/AR content generation
We’re not expecting you to tick every box, but we are looking for someone who can confidently contribute from day two, and who’s excited to grow into the areas where you don’t yet have experience. You’ll be supported and mentored as you learn how to deploy, observe and maintain enterprise-grade ML services using an MLOps mindset, balancing experimentation with robust engineering.
Inclusion & Belonging
We are committed to recruiting people from all different walks of life because we believe in the power of diversity and inclusion. Our commitment stems from a genuine belief that we get better outcomes if we have teams that are multi-disciplinary.
Reward
We believe in recognizing the invaluable contributions of our team members. We offer a salary with equity options allowing you to play a significant role in the company's success and growth. We also provide a benefits package that includes investment in continuing professional development, a pension and vacation allowances. Even though we are a small company, we want you to thrive both personally and professionally – your career at Signly can unlock a future where your talent and commitment are recognized and rewarded.
This is your chance to get in at the ground floor. Join us and embark on a thrilling adventure where you’ll be innovating from first principles and pushing the boundaries of what technology can do to positively impact ubiquitous access to information and communications. Together, we'll unlock a world of endless possibilities and leave an indelible mark on the world of accessibility. Are you ready to create magic with us? Apply now and let’s create something special together.
Applying
So, whoever you are, if you feel like you’ve got the potential - not necessarily the experience - or know someone who could take on one of these roles, I want you to get in touch with me…
You can show your interest in any way that’s comfortable for you (but forget the cover letters)
* Email resumes as documents to bookings@Signly.co
* Send us a video on VideoAsk (https://www.videoask.com/fpll4kcmu). Video applications in BSL, ISL or ASL are also welcome.