Machine Learning Developer Hiring Trends in London, United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Aug 10, 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 Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers job market in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, has experienced notable fluctuations over the past 12 weeks, with a significant demand-supply gap evidenced by a total of 7 new roles opened peaking at 15 in week 30, while job closures averaged around 10 weekly.
A substantial talent pool is reflected in the distribution of job openings, as London dominates the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market, accounting for approximately 89% of total positions and highlighting the city's importance for recruitment strategies.
The current distribution shows that 53% of positions for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers are at the Mid-Senior level, indicating a rising demand for experienced professionals and suggesting future trends for higher caliber talent in the sector.
The median time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in the United Kingdom stands at 27 days, demonstrating a competitive hiring landscape where over 60% of candidates are secured within 30 days, necessitating efficient recruitment strategies from CTOs and hiring managers.
With leading companies such as Harnham, Oliver Bernard, and hackajob actively hiring, it's crucial for tech leaders to refine recruitment approaches to secure talent in an increasingly competitive environment.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in United Kingdom London displayed notable fluctuations. A total of 7 new roles were opened in week 20, peaking at 15 in week 30, followed by a consistent downtrend, with only 4 new positions posted in weeks 28 and 31. Conversely, job closures remained relatively high, reaching 14 in week 25 and averaging around 10 weekly closures, which highlights a significant demand-supply gap. This trend suggests that while the hiring landscape for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Developers seems active, recruitment strategies may need to be refined to attract and retain talent effectively. In comparison, similar roles across European countries have shown a more balanced ratio between jobs opened and closed, further emphasizing the competitive nature of London's tech sector.

Who else is hiring for ai Engineers in United Kingdom:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Harnham	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2006	23
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	15
Oliver Bernard	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2010	15
hackajob	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2014	12
Understanding Recruitment	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2007	12
Huawei Technologies Research & Development (UK) Ltd	null	null	null	11
Mistral AI	France	Information Technology & Services	2023	10
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	8
Graphcore	United Kingdom	Semiconductors	2016	8
Cleo	United Kingdom	Financial Services	2016	7

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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 talent market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in the United Kingdom presents a challenging landscape for hiring managers. With a significantly high number of job openings relative to the available talent pool, the jobs-to-talent ratio indicates increased competition for skilled professionals. For instance, countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands exhibit more favorable ratios, suggesting that recruitment strategies in these regions may yield better results. As such, the future demand for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in the United Kingdom could lead to prolonged hiring cycles, necessitating innovative recruitment strategies for CTOs and tech leaders aiming to build high-performing teams in this competitive sector.

Seniority distribution of Machine Learning Engineer job openings in London

Seniority Distribution of Machine Learning Engineering Jobs in London

The current landscape of the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in United Kingdom London reveals that 53% of positions are at the Mid-Senior level, followed by 25% at the Entry level, and 11% at the Associate level. This distribution underscores the significant demand for experienced engineers, indicating a future trend towards higher caliber talent within the sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the employment landscape for engineering roles reveals a predominance of full-time positions, accounting for 91% of the job market. Contract roles follow, constituting 9%, while part-time positions represent a modest 4%. This distribution highlights the significant demand for stable, long-term employment in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Time to Hire Distribution for Artificial Intelligence in United Kingdom

How long does it take to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The distribution of time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineer positions in the United Kingdom reveals significant trends that hiring managers should consider. Notably, the peak hiring period occurs between 25 to 30 days, with 225 and 291 counts, respectively, indicating a typical hiring window. The data shows that over 60% of candidates are hired within 30 days, highlighting the competitive nature of the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in United Kingdom London. As the demand for skilled professionals continues to rise, CTOs and recruitment leaders must adapt their recruitment strategies to attract top talent swiftly. Furthermore, with hiring stretching beyond 40 days becoming less frequent, it's crucial for organizations to streamline their hiring processes to remain competitive in acquiring Senior Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Developers.

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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 distribution of job openings for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers shows a significant concentration in London, which accounts for approximately 89% of the total positions. Leeds follows with about 4%, while Cambridge and Manchester contribute around 2% and 2% respectively. This data underscores London’s dominance in the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market, making it the focal point for recruitment strategies in the tech sector.

Most sought after technologies in London for Machine Learning

Key technologies for Machine Learning Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, several key technologies emerge as critical to success. The data reveals that Python leads with a remarkable frequency of 7,675 mentions, underscoring its popularity among Machine Learning Engineers. This is followed by SQL with 3,076 usages, highlighting its importance in data manipulation and query operations. Machine Learning itself signifies its prominence with 4,406 mentions, while AI is central to 2,709 discussions, reflecting the industry's focus on advanced capabilities. Additional technologies, including Data Science at 1,623 and Data Analysis at 1,647, further reinforce the integral role of these skills in today's technological landscape. Please refer to the accompanying chart for a detailed representation of these technologies and their respective frequencies.

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