Principal Research Engineer

Principal Research Engineer Distributed Systems & Industrial AI Bristol (Hybrid) | Permanent An advanced technology and research organisation is seeking a Principal Research Engineer / Research Fellow to help shape next-generation distributed data-sharing and industrial AI solutions across sectors including energy, infrastructure and industrial systems.

If your skills, experience, and qualifications match those in this job overview, do not delay your application.

This role sits within a highly specialised R&D environment focused on applied research, intelligent systems and scalable data-sharing architectures.

You'll work across emerging technologies including distributed AI, digital twins, cloud/edge systems and trusted AI frameworks.

Role: You'll operate across: Applied R&D Distributed systems architecture Industrial AI Data-sharing infrastructure Technical strategy and innovation Responsibilities include: Developing proof-of-concepts and next-generation solutions Contributing to externally funded R&D programmes Collaborating with industry, academia and international engineering teams Supporting patents, publications and strategic technology initiatives Experience Needed: Experience across several of the following: Distributed systems / data-sharing platforms Industrial AI / edge AI Cloud & microservices architecture Python, Java & SQL PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Spark or similar tooling Knowledge graphs / semantic technologies RAG, agentic AI or generative AI concepts Candidates from industrial R&D, advanced engineering or applied AI environments would be particularly relevant.

A PhD is preferred but strong commercial experience is equally valued.

Why this role? xkybehq Work on cutting-edge industrial AI and distributed systems challenges Highly collaborative research-driven environment Opportunity to influence real-world products and technology strategy Strong focus on innovation and emerging technologies Hybrid working with Bristol as the preferred base If you're interested in applied AI, distributed systems and advanced industrial research, this is a rare opportunity to join a genuinely forward-thinking environment.