Artificial Intelligence Engineer (KTP Associate)

Job Summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious AI Engineer to fast-track their career development as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate, utilising skills in Artificial Intelligence with a specific focus on Large Language Models, Case-Based Reasoning and Natural Language Processing.

You will undertake a 24-month collaborative project between Katoni Engineering Ltd https://www.katoni.com/ and Robert Gordon University (School of Computing), jointly funded by Innovate UK and Katoni Engineering. The post will be based at the company’s offices in Aberdeen. As an AI Engineer, your responsibility will be to develop WiKatoni, an intelligent decision-support system, for energy sector engineering knowledge management using Large Language Models and a user interface to enhance knowledge retention, sharing and utilisation. By employing Case-Based Reasoning, you will enable continuous learning and transparent decision making, optimising data access, workflow practices, contract tendering and client reporting.

Katoni is a specialist Consulting, Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company that has developed an excellent reputation in the UK offshore energy industry and is now also diversifying. The business has grown organically based on delivering exceptional services to its clients and is proud to support a wide range of publicly listed and independent energy companies. At its heart, Katoni is an Engineering company but is increasingly moving into the consulting space, which requires the application of experience and knowledge to complex problems. Katoni’s services cover four key areas, designed following consultation with existing consulting and EPC clients: Production Assurance and Asset Management; Late Life and Decommissioning; Power; Safety. Target sectors include Utilities, Industrial Sites, Offshore Decommissioning, Nuclear and Renewable Energy.

You will receive extensive practical and formal training, gain marketable skills, broaden your knowledge and expertise within an industrially relevant project, and gain valuable experience from industrial and academic mentors. You will also benefit from a Personal Development Budget of £4,000.

You must have at least an MSc in Computing or a related field, and you should be self-motivated with an ability to plan, coordinate and execute tasks efficiently, and a team player with excellent communication skills, capable of working well with a variety of stakeholders to achieve project goals. You must be well-versed in AI techniques (Large Language Models, Case-Based Reasoning, Natural Language Processing), with experience of AI development tools and software. Prior experience in an AI-related role and a track record of applying AI technologies to solve industry issues would be highly desirable. The ability to proactively adapt to challenges is essential.

Salary Range: £35,000 to £40,000 per annum, plus £4,000 training budget

Position Type: Full Time, Fixed Term 2 years

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Working Arrangements: hybrid, working from home and Katoni office in Aberdeen

Annual Leave: 34 days paid annual leave including public holidays

RGU's ultra-modern campus, located on the outskirts of the vibrant and prosperous city of Aberdeen, offers a superb place to live, work and develop your career. A relocation package is available to assist with your transition to RGU, where you’ll enjoy working in one of the most impressive university settings in the UK, with first-class educational infrastructure and outstanding sporting and leisure facilities, all set against a stunning rural backdrop on the banks of the river Dee. More information can be found on our relocation pages

Informal enquires may be sent to: Professor Nirmalie Wiratunga, n.wiratunga@rgu.ac.uk and Fraser Kerr, fraser.kerr@katoni.com

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

RESPONSIBLE TO: Whilst working on company premises report to and take direction from Fraser Kerr. Whilst working at Robert Gordon University report to and take direction from Prof Nirmalie Wiratunga and Dr Ikechukwu Nkisi-Orji

RESPONSIBLE FOR: No Supervisory Responsibilities

PURPOSE OF POST:

• Transfer knowledge of artificial intelligence techniques and technologies to Katoni
• Take a leading role in developing the WiKatoni system for energy sector engineering knowledge management
• Manage the KTP project and effectively communicate its purpose and benefits, and guidelines for system maintenance, usage and enhancement
• Implement advanced AI techniques, workflow design and microservices technologies
• Gain insights from engineering projects using LLMs and integrate this knowledge into accessible workflows through CBR for effective knowledge management
• Address people’s perception of AI and build trust through Explainable AI methods
• Develop technical and personal skills (verbal and written) to meet the requirements of increasing responsibility and experience level

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

• Deliver the project objectives as detailed in the KTP project workplan.
• Undertake a review of agile project management methodologies, select and set up an appropriate project management tool to support project management activities
• Understand, document and optimise Katoni operational workflows
• Develop and finetune Katoni systems using LLM and CBR
• Maintain an up-to-date project plan and provide regular progress reports
• Deliver presentations to immediate project team members and technical experts
• Any other duties that may be reasonable, assigned by the Academic and Company Supervisory teams

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

MSc in Computing or a strongly related field

Knowledge and skills

• Strong knowledge of data exploration, cleaning and pre-processing
• Strong knowledge of machine learning, deep learning, and the underlying theories
• Strong knowledge and understanding of programming languages (e.g., R, Python, or similar)
• Project management: ability to plan, coordinate and execute tasks efficiently, keeping project on track and within scope
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Problem solving: proficiency in identifying, analysing and resolving challenges
• Adaptability: ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations and technologies

Experience

• Well versed in AI techniques (Large Language Models, Case-Based Reasoning, Natural Language Processing)
• Experience of AI development tools and software
• Experience of deploying AI-based solutions locally or on the cloud
  

 

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

PhD in a related field

Knowledge

• Understanding of AI uses in a business context.

Experience

• Experience in an AI-related role / tech industry.
• Track record of applying AI technologies to solve industry issues.
• Experience in managing and delivering projects, preferably in an agile development environment
• Experience in managing organisational change, particularly relating to the introduction of new technologies or processes