IoT and Data Analytics Research Scientist (KTP Associate)

KTP
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are a unique UK-wide activity that help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity by making better use of the knowledge, technology and skills within universities, colleges and research organisations. Further information is available at: www.ktponline.org.uk.

THE PROJECT 
The University of Essex, in partnership with &Element, offers an exciting opportunity to create an AI-driven dashboard which ingests data from a range of IoT devices and sensors and provides real-time actionable insights to clients in the retail sector.

This post is fixed-term for 25 months and is based at &Element’s offices in Colchester.

It is a hybrid role with the requirement to work 3 days in the office.

DUTIES OF THE POST
The duties of the post will include:

• Design and deploy an effective IoT system, including a range of devices such as digital displays, POS software, cameras, and environmental sensors.
• Devise protocols and systems for capturing and storing this data and develop a processing pipeline which feeds data to the relevant AI models.
• Rigorously test and evaluate a range of AI models, working with the project team to balance accuracy and performance within a commercial setting.
• Consider data security and customer privacy when developing the system, as well as challenges around power and connectivity, which typically affect IoT networks.
• Balance commercial and academic priorities whilst keeping a large and disparate project team working cohesively.
• Establish IoT infrastructure for data acquisition and processing.
• Capture real-time data on customer behaviour within the retail space.
• Process and analyse real-time data collected from IoT devices.
• Develop a user-friendly dashboard for store management to visualise data.
• Establish mechanisms for ongoing enhancement and adaptation of the retail heatmap system.
• Embed technology, training and upskilling of company staff.
• Participate in academic and/or industrial conferences and other events, to disseminate and present research outcomes to the wider community.
• Contribute to the writing of academic publications and teaching materials, with an appreciation of the potential of the project to contribute to the Research Excellence Framework.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• BSc in computer science, data science, mathematics, or a related discipline.
• Higher degree in AI, IoT, data science, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• MSc Computer Science/Data science/Engineering, Machine Learning, IoT, or equivalent experience.
• High level knowledge and practical experience in communication, machine/deep learning, and embedded systems programming.
• High level knowledge and practical experience in data acquisition, databases, communication and AI.
• Ability to write technical reports/papers.
• Leadership and project management abilities.
• Experience in IoT infrastructure setup and connectivity protocols.
• Proficiency in data acquisition, processing, and analysis.
• Knowledge and experience of C/C++/python programming and interpreted high-level programming languages.
• Knowledge of retail heatmap solutions and IoT devices.
• Ability to implement continuous improvement mechanisms.
• Experience in dashboard development and UX/UI design.

LOCATION
Element Softworks Ltd,
Innovation Centre,
Knowledge Gateway,
Boundary Road,
Colchester,
CO4 3ZQ

Please use the 'Apply' button to read further information about this role including the full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role. You will also find details of how to make your application here.

Our website http://www.essex.ac.uk contains more information about the University of Essex. If you have a disability and would like information in a different format, please email resourcing@essex.ac.uk.

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