Machine Learning Engineering Manager

We're helping a fast-growing energy technology company hire a Machine Learning Engineering Manager to own their most technically complex function.

Our client is using AI to reinvent how electricity is bought, sold and priced - automating complex market flows and bringing transparency to energy transactions at scale. Their product already serves thousands of business customers and has facilitated billions in transaction value.

Following a significant Series B from tier-one investors in late 2025, they are now building toward international expansion and category leadership.

THE ROLE

This is a leadership role for someone who wants to own a business unit end-to-end: people, strategy, delivery, budget and outcomes. You will be accountable for the ML function performing, and for the core product hitting its numbers.

ML sits at the heart of the product - spanning forecasting, optimisation, pricing and classical ML - and you'll be leading a technically diverse team in a high-autonomy engineering culture where squads own their outcomes like mini businesses.

This is not a textbook people-manager role. It is a role for someone who wants real accountability, not just oversight.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Ownership orientation: you want accountability for outcomes and are comfortable holding the pen on strategy, budget and people
• Proven experience managing ML engineers or scientists across levels (Junior to Staff), with enough understanding of forecasting, optimisation, pricing and classical ML to manage credibly
• A strong people development track record: 1:1s that move people forward, clear progression frameworks, and the willingness to action underperformance
• Experience building team operating systems: prioritisation frameworks, sprint cadences, incident reviews and feedback loops
• A strong hiring instinct for ML roles: you've defined the bar and landed people who had other options
• Startup or high-growth experience: comfortable with ambiguity and ready to do more than a big-company manager role would require

A background in energy, fintech or another domain where ML is mission-critical is a nice-to-have, not a requirement.

WHAT'S ON OFFER

• Base salary £105,000 - £127,000 (or equivalent in local currency), reviewed twice a year against real-time market data

Browse our curated collection of remote jobs across all categories and industries, featuring positions from top companies worldwide.

• Stock options
• 25 days holiday + public holidays (swappable), plus your birthday off
• Fully remote with clear core hours and no internal meetings on Friday afternoons
• Home working and wellbeing budgets

THIS IS A FULLY REMOTE ROLE. THE INTERVIEW PROCESS TYPICALLY TAKES 2-3 WEEKS FROM FIRST CALL TO OFFER

ABOUT HIGHER

Higher is a specialist AI executive search firm. We work exclusively with companies building at the frontier of AI and deep tech.

To be considered, please apply or reach out directly to Kelly Gauthier at kelly@highersearch.co.