This is a full-time position for 37 hours per week Monday to Friday. We will also consider applicants looking for part-time hours (30 hours).

Do you want to develop and apply the latest speech technologies to improve our communication platforms, keep our systems secure, and help solve some of our most difficult problems?

We’re seeking a talented Speech Processing Research Engineer to join our team working at the heart of Government on cutting edge technology. Working as part of a team of like-minded Research Engineers, you’ll be responsible for keeping up to date with the rapidly evolving world of speech technology, and actively looking for opportunities to apply these innovations to our products and services. You’ll work not only to evaluate academic papers and new techniques, but to implement concept demonstrator systems and then work alongside development teams to bring your ideas to life. You’ll use your skills and experience to keep us one step ahead, and to influence designs, ways of working, processes and policies.

You’ll be joining a team who enjoy exploring and sharing technology and new ideas, but who gain most satisfaction from seeing those concepts developed through into live products and services. You’ll contribute, through advice and consultancy, across the whole product lifecycle – from conception, through design and build, to in-service support and retirement. You’ll also share your ideas and findings with a wide range of technical and non-technical audiences.

You’ll enjoy analysing user needs, evaluating new ideas, applying technology to solve problems, validating designs, and working as part of a team to take concepts through to production. In the course of this work, you’ll collaborate with a variety of teams within the organisation but also in industry and academia. You’ll also have opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge, and network with peers in the wider community, through training and conferences.


More About You

You will already have:

•    A degree with relation to speech and language processing (e.g. Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Mathematics, Acoustics)
•    Knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: automatic speech recognition, speech synthesis, speaker recognition.
•     Experience of scripting (e.g. Bash, Python) and Linux systems
•     Practical experience of applying machine learning approaches to problems
•     Strong written and oral communication skills.


You may also have one or more of the following

•    A Masters or PhD with relation to speech and language processing (e.g. Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Mathematics, Acoustics)
•    Experience of a least one programming language (e.g. C/C++, C#, Java)
•     Knowledge of speech forensics
•     Experience with audio test equipment


Your Personal Skills

You will be the type of person who:

•     Is a self-starter who can take the initiative
•     Enjoys coming up with creative solutions
•     Is happy to learn on the job and adapt to the changing technology environment
•     Tries new things and learns from failures along with successes
•     Enjoys working as part of a team and contributing to the bigger picture
•     Applies scientific rigour to your work and can justify outcomes and decisions


Putting your skills to use

Using your diverse range of skills within the Speech Research team, you will:

•     Keep up to date with advancements in academia and industry
•     Research new ideas and techniques to apply to our work
•     Validate new tools, methods and techniques
•     Develop concept demonstrator systems
•     Provide specialist support and consultancy to implementation teams and customers
•     Form a network of contacts across government, industry and academia


What we Offer

Now that we’ve explained a bit about what you will be doing, here’s what we can offer you:

•    25 days annual leave, rising to 30 after 5 years’ service.
•    2 ½ additional days leave (set dates through the year).
•    Paid overtime or time off in lieu.  Your salary is for your contracted hours.  If you’re asked to work more, we believe you should be rewarded for that.
•    Training.  Lots and lots of training.  This can be anything from a ½ day internal course to a distant learning degree.  If it’s relevant to your career, we will aim to support you.
•    Pension.  Our Pension scheme is Alpha.  It’s competitive.
•    Sports & Social Society.  Whether its classic cars or baking, golf or crafting, we have a society for you.
•    On site nursery (subject to availability).
•    3 days paid leave a year to support a registered charity of your choice.
•    Free parking
•    Free onsite gym, open 24 hours a day
•    Relocation Package*
•    Affinity Groups – whether you are disabled, LGBTQ+ and/or from an Ethnic Minority.  We provide an inclusive environment and support for everyone.


About HMGCC

We’re HMGCC, Her Majesty’s Government Communications Centre. You may not have heard of us before. It’s OK, we’re used to it! That’s because our customers are other UK Government Departments. Using our collective expertise, we develop communication systems for our customers that are innovative, reliable and totally secure to protect national security at home and overseas.

We invest in our people, not only with training but also support throughout your career with us; to allow you to reach your full potential at work, as well as enjoy the work/life balance many aspire to.

To find out more about us and if we’re right for you, please click here.


Equal Opportunities

Inclusion & Diversity really matters to us. It's not just about numbers or visible differences.

HMGCC are committed to providing equal opportunities and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and those with disabilities or who are neurodiverse.

We’re not looking for any one type of person. We’re looking for talent from all different backgrounds to join our organisation, where we genuinely respect and value each other's differences, as well as our similarities. It makes us even better at what we do.

HMGCC is proud to hold the status of Disability Confident Employer. In line with this, we offer the Disability Confident - Offer of Interview. To find out more and how you can apply under this scheme, please click here.


Apply now

Please click the apply button.  Our Recruitment Team will process your application once the role has closed and everyone will get a response.

*if you are relocating to the area then we can discuss the possibility of a relocation package