Machine Learning Developer Hiring Trends in Leeds, United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Jun 15, 2025

Bence Gedai

Founder

I analyze live hiring data and tech job trends across Europe to give CTOs and Product Leaders a strategic edge. By tracking tens of thousands of open roles each week, I uncover which skills, roles, and locations are in highest demand — potential competitors, typical time to hire, talent pool sizes, and more to help you prioritize hiring, benchmark and stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Key learnings from this report

The job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in United Kingdom Leeds has revealed a challenging landscape, with only one new position posted in the past 12 weeks and 18 job closures, leading to a net loss of opportunities.
Key technologies driving the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in United Kingdom Leeds include Python, SQL, and Machine Learning, with Python being the most prevalent tool used in 12,134 listings.
A significant seniority distribution exists within the Leeds area, where 46% of positions are Mid-Senior level, indicating a higher demand for experienced professionals in Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineering roles.
The city of Leeds accounts for 4% of the total job openings for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in the United Kingdom, significantly trailing behind London, which dominates with 88% of the market share.
Hiring managers in United Kingdom Leeds can expect an average time to hire of around 29 days for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineer positions, highlighting the necessity for agile recruitment strategies in a competitive job market.

Number of roles opened and closed for Machine Learning Engineers in Leeds in the last 3 months

In the past 12 weeks, the job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in United Kingdom Leeds has shown limited activity, with only one new position posted during week 19. This is starkly contrasted by the number of job closures, which totaled 18 over the same period, indicating a net loss of opportunities for this role. Compared to other tech roles in Leeds, which may experience steadier openings, the recruitment landscape for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers appears more challenging. Additionally, when evaluating the broader European context, trends in hiring for similar positions reveal a need for strategic recruitment approaches, as demand fluctuates across different regions.

Who else is hiring for ai Engineers in United Kingdom:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Harnham	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2006	18
Meta	United States	Information Technology & Services	2004	11
Huawei Technologies Research & Development (UK) Ltd	null	null	null	10
Oliver Bernard	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2010	8
Mistral AI	France	Information Technology & Services	2023	8
PhysicsX	United Kingdom	Software Development	null	7
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	6
Dynamo AI	United States of America	Software Development	2021	6
Digital Waffle	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2018	6
In Technology Group	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	null	5

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Talent pool vs job openings for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in United Kingdom

How competitive it is to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers in United Kingdom

The current talent market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in the United Kingdom, particularly in Leeds, reveals a competitive landscape for hiring managers. With a sizeable number of job openings, the available talent pool remains limited, resulting in challenging hiring conditions. Comparatively, countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands exhibit better ratios of job opportunities to talent availability, suggesting a more favorable environment for recruitment in those regions. Therefore, CTOs and engineering managers in the UK may need to refine their recruitment strategies to attract the requisite talent amidst rising demand.

Seniority distribution of Machine Learning Engineer job openings in Leeds

Seniority Distribution of Machine Learning Engineering Jobs in Leeds

In the United Kingdom's Leeds area, the seniority distribution for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineering roles reveals that 46% of positions are at the Mid-Senior level, while 42% fall under Entry level. Additionally, Internship roles account for 6% of the total opportunities. This data indicates a significant demand for experienced professionals, which hiring managers should consider when formulating recruitment strategies.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the employment type distribution for engineering roles indicates a strong preference for Full-time positions, which constitute 91% of available jobs. Contract roles follow, accounting for 8%, while Part-time positions represent only 1% of the job market. This data reflects the current employment landscape for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers, highlighting the dominance of Full-time roles in the sector.

Time to Hire Distribution for Artificial Intelligence in United Kingdom

How long does it take to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Artificial Intelligence roles in the United Kingdom indicates a significant variance, with the majority of positions filled within 30 to 45 days. Specifically, 410 candidates were hired in 30 days, followed by a notable drop to 290 at 25 days. As organizations seek to attract talent quickly in a competitive landscape, hiring managers in Leeds should anticipate an average hiring window of around 30 to 35 days. The insights from this data provide a clear understanding of market dynamics, highlighting the need for agile recruitment strategies tailored to the unique demands of the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in United Kingdom Leeds.

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Most popular cities in United Kingdom to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

Top 5 cities in United Kingdom to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

In the United Kingdom, the city of London dominates the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers job market, accounting for 88% of the total job openings. Leeds follows with a notable share of 4%, while Cambridge represents 2% of the market. This data highlights the concentration of opportunities in the capital, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Leeds for Machine Learning

Key technologies for Machine Learning Engineers

The Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in United Kingdom Leeds is significantly influenced by a variety of technologies that are in high demand. Among these, Python is the most prevalent, with a frequency of 12,134, highlighting its essential role in AI and Machine Learning projects. Additionally, SQL follows closely at 5,097, serving as a vital tool for data manipulation and analysis. Machine Learning, with a notable frequency of 6,954, demonstrates its critical presence across job listings. Other noteworthy technologies include Data Science at 2,497, and Cloud services at 968, both of which are increasingly relevant in the tech sector. For a comprehensive view of technology usage trends, please refer to the accompanying chart.

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