Research & Innovation Manager; Automation

R&I Manager (Automation)

Lead and mentor a team of research professionals in the Automation theme of Energised Futures, Centrica’s in‑house science, research and innovation incubator. Oversee highly technical projects and own the strategy and roadmap for the automation pillar, ensuring alignment with Centrica’s strategic objectives.

Team is based in Antwerp, Belgium, with a London‑centred team under development. Preference for candidates based in or around London; travel between locations is expected.

• Lead and develop a team of research engineers.
• Ensure reliable delivery of high‑quality research and innovation outputs.
• Own Energised Futures’ strategy around the automation pillar.
• Collaborate and engage with stakeholders across Centrica, the energy industry, startups, and academia.
• Support the wider business to adopt and deploy our outputs to maximise impact.
• Monitor and engage with industry and academia through conferences and journals.

An adaptable, experienced data scientist or machine learning expert who tackles complex challenges and pushes the state of the art for automation in the energy sector. Candidates who lack some listed qualifications but show strong potential are also encouraged to apply.

• 5+ years of experience designing complex statistical algorithms or machine learning models (PhD + 2 years or master’s + 4 years of research/industry experience).
• Proficiency with ML libraries (Tensor Flow, PyTorch), model servers (AWS Bedrock), MLOps (MLflow, Sage Maker), and AI orchestration (Lang Graph, MCP libraries).
• Strong programming skills, especially in Python (additional languages such as C++, Scala, Rust are bonuses).
• Experience implementing and deploying (deep) supervised/unsupervised/reinforcement learning solutions.
• Strong mathematical skills and analytical mindset.
• Energy industry knowledge preferred (smart energy technologies, energy management, connectivity challenges, markets and trading techniques, regulatory constraints).

• Adaptable growth mindset – curiosity and a desire to learn beyond current expertise.
• Proactive, creative, and collaborative problem‑solving approach.
• Strong sense of ownership – initiative and accountability for work and the wider team.
• Interpersonal skills for effective cross‑functional teamwork.
• Technical communication skills to explain complex concepts (machine learning, energy systems, hardware control, IoT).
• Ethical integrity – uphold high ethical standards and transparency in all research activities.

• Attractive salary and compensation package.
• Highly competitive benefits tailored to UK or Belgium locations.
• Flexible hybrid working pattern with in‑office days combined with remote flexibility.
• Opportunity to work with a high‑calibre, diverse team in a fast‑growing energy technology company.
• Inclusive culture that welcomes unique backgrounds and perspectives.