2027 Machine Learning Apprentice - Level 6 AI Engineer

Working as part of our Specialist Underwater Systems Engineering team, you will support the rapid delivery of novel solutions, ensuring that our Royal Navy and export customers have the capability needed in today's fast paced environment to carry out their critical missions, keeping them and our nation safe and secure.

What you'll do

• Working with Underwater Systems specialists and software developers to create novel solutions
• Developing solutions with our partners across the multinational Thales organisation, academia and industry
• Participating in testing and validation activities
• Assisting with engineering investigations and problem solving
• Visiting customer sites, platforms and installations to support surveys, trials and system deployment where required
• Working with experienced engineers on live projects

Training

You will study towards a Level 6 in AI Engineer Apprenticeship with QA. The AI Engineer programme gives you the skills to design, build, and deploy advanced AI systems - including generative AI and deep learning. You'll move from concept to real-world application. Creating solutions that scale and deliver impact.

The programme is 23 months in duration and is delivered via a virtual delivery model combining:

• Instructor led live workshops (28 days)
• Interactive labs and self-paced learning

Programme structure - You will complete learning in:

• AI System Development and Automation
• AI Solution Design and Testing
• Deep Learning and Transformers
• Business Process Optimisation with AI
• Security, Ethics and Explainable AI
• Leading AI and Future Innovation

After the apprenticeship

On completion of the programme, you will have the opportunity to achieve the Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI -102) in addition to the IfATE L6AIE qualification.

Skills

• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Problem solving skills
• Number skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative

Qualifications

• Essential: GCSE, 5 GCSE's including Maths and English (grade 9-4/A-C)
• Essential: A Level, 3 A Levels inc, Maths and a relevant subject (grade C or above with a B in Maths)

Things to consider

Because of the work we do at Thales, all roles are subject to security requirements.

To be considered for this position, you must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be able to successfully complete and maintain UK Government security checks, including Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) screening and Security Clearance (SC), which is a government background check, before starting employment.

To be eligible for SC clearance, you will typically need to have lived in the UK continuously for the last five years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, right to work in the UK, any time spent overseas during the last five years, and your employment and/or education history.

In addition, this role supports a UK Eyes Only programme and is therefore subject to government-mandated nationality restrictions. To satisfy the security clearance requirements for access to highly sensitive information, applicants must have been British citizens from birth and must not hold any other nationality. This requirement is determined by the UK Government and is a condition of programme access rather than an employment preference.

For further details of the evidence required to apply for security clearance please follow this link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.

Benefits

• Holiday entitlement of 201 hours (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Contributory company pension
• Health care cash plan
• Employee assistant programme
• Learning and Development support
• Employee discount and wellbeing portal
• Life cover
• 80 hours volunteering per year (first two years), then 24 hours each year after that

About the employer

Together, we create the ingenious technological systems and innovations that impact and improve people's lives every single day. Even if you haven't heard the name Thales before, you've definitely benefited from our inventiveness. We reinvest 20% of our sales in Research & Development in the UK. Together we supply invention across 4 core areas: Aerospace, Space, Defence and Security, Digital Identity and Security.

Apprenticeship details

• Course: Machine learning engineer (level 6), Digital
• Apprenticeship level: Degree (level 6)
• Training provider: QA LIMITED
• Expected duration: 2 Years
• Hours: 37 hours a week. Working week: Flexible workday. Monday - Friday, 37 hours a week.
• Start date: 6 September 2027
• Positions available: 1
• Wage: £24,000 a year