Software Developer

Developer with Machine Learning / Data Science Capabilities

(With Demonstrable Programming - Machine Learning – Deep Learning capabilities)

Temporary Role (12 months from June 2025 – May / June 2026 )

Reports To: R&D Lead

Overview of Funded opportunity– Role is funded by Innovate UK and seeks to develop new and novel tools to identify, avoid, add value to and maximise the reuse of waste across the UK and EU within an industry that generates enormous volumes of waste but also huge amounts of data that can be used to solve real-world problems

About Morgan Sindall

Morgan Sindall provides national construction services to private and public sector customers across a comprehensive range of markets. We aim to create great results for our customers, partners, and ourselves.Our Leadership team are focused on building a sustainable and profitable business based on selective, relationship-based business driven by outstanding people who are motivated by delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Relationships with our customers and supply chain partners drives our business strategy. We have a balanced approach to securing new work, engaging with customers and frameworks that offer the opportunity for long-term relationships and repeat business. At Morgan Sindall Construction, we encourage diversity of people and thought, and we embrace peoples’ differences. Everyone is unique and we value the different ideas, experiences, and perspectives that each individual brings to their work, their team and the wider business.

We are committed to ensuring we create the very best place to work in the industry, and an environment where every person feels included and is treated equally, fairly and with respect. We actively promote an inclusive culture where everyone can bring their ‘whole self’ to work. It’s this approach we believe brings out the best in everyone and creates a fun, dynamic, innovative and rewarding environment.

Why do we need this role?

The challenge for the construction / infrastructure industries and wider built environment in UK / Europe is to become a zero waste / net zero carbon, natural resources responsible, circular economy driven and low energy consuming sectors. The conducted research and final outcomes and developments will be achieved by mitigating and reducing waste by developing novel solutions including new methodologies driven heavily by vast quantities of differing types of data some of this data may yet to exist!! Solutions will also include developing novel functional specifications and Machine learning and/or prototype software solutions.

This is an open opportunity for you to drive the R&D and develop the solutions which WILL shape how we predict how waste can be designed out of projects / provide much better intelligence to enable better decision-making of how we can manage what waste we do create to make our sector much more efficient and support true environmental responsibility.

What background / experience you will need?

We are looking for candidates with a background in developing applications using Machine Learning / AI and may also have data / data science capabilities. A background in construction, civil engineering is not essential as we will provide all the support you need to understand the industry, our business and the R&D project your core developer skills / experience are the most important credentials.

You should have completed a BSc / MSc / MPhil or PhD and be looking for a new role which provides an exciting and unique opportunity to develop a product from which will drive the construction industry across the UK and EU to value and manage the Billions of £ / € of waste generated by our industry.

Post duration:Approx 10-12 months - May / Jun 2026

Role Detail

Role Purpose

To support the development of an application encompassing waste prediction tools, which will be developed from Technological Readiness Level (TRL) level 5 – “technology basic validation in a relevant environment” to TRL6/7 “technology prototype demonstration in an operational environment”. The tools will enable decision making by various stakeholders through the lifecycle of a construction / infrastructure project.

The role also requires the continued development of a methodology to create a data bank (MDB) for materials and products capable of capturing data for any material, any product across all types of construction or infrastructure project within the UK and EU. This will be linked with 2D drawings and data-rich BIM models used in 3D design of projects to drive early and better decision making. This will facilitation the selection of the right material / product at the right time to minimise or even avoid waste at design stage or during demolition / refurbishment or change of use of a building.

Note – Hands-on support will be provided to develop your BIM and construction-based knowledge by the R&D lead and colleagues across our business and via our academic partners.

This work will involve a diverse range of actions to develop and/or participate in the development process, such as (but not limited to) the following responsibilities:

Responsibilities – Waste Prediction Suite of tools

• Support the review of current progress to date of the waste prediction tool based on PowerBi– make proposals for further development in terms of data inputs / outputs / analytical recommendations and any further functionality required to meet the required TRL for Reconmatic R&D Project of TRL 6 or 7
• Undertake a complete review of all data sources that drive the creation of waste on projects and test for other valuable data that would improve this data set allowing future predictions to be made using this ever-expanding data set
• Develop a Functional specification for software development using ML to enhance the prediction capability of the predictors which will have a variety of inputs and outputs required to make every more intensive and accurate predictions quickly around Construction & Demolition Waste – this will be a world leading tool that could be applied not just in the UK but across the EU and beyond.
• Propose future development of the tool based on future funding opportunities to take this to TRL8/9

Responsibilities – Materials Data Bank (MDB)

• Develop the methodology and functional specification for the development of a Materials Data Bank (MDB) of materials and products which seeks to standardise the format of material and product information across the construction and Infrastructure industries. The MDB will provide open access to anyone in the project lifecycle (design / build / operate) to make decisions for optimising the selection of materials or products to avoid / minimise waste during construction or demolition activities. The Methodology should enable a TRL (Technological Readiness Level) of 5/6.
• To establish a methodology for the data requirements for the MDB and the automation of data exchanges / imports and API links with BIM software during design, construction and operation. This will involve the management of data, its validity and security, input and output structures for different scenarios, organising information for user interpretation promoting quick / accurate decision making
• The Data Bank methodology can be developed into a working software model if time and opportunity allow during the project to TRL 6/7.

Responsibilities – Shared across each element of R&D scope

• Look for opportunities and develop proposals to create APIs between the Materials Data Bank and Waste Predictor suite of tools into existing platforms including BIM design tools / existing data banks and other open API tools to maximise their benefit across industry
• Document and evidence any development undertaken to achieve the above to meet reporting /deliverables requirements of Reconmatic – details to be discussed as interview
• Design, implement, QA test and document data analytics outputs and appropriate software code as a deliverable to meet the TRL requirements of the Reconmatic project targeting TRL 6/7
• To collaborate and support the integration of these applications in a novel Digital Management System being developed by Salford University using material flow analysis linked to real-world demonstrators including site delivery logistics, waste generation monitoring and recovery, pre-demolition audits, etc.

Responsibilities – General

• Expected to produce a minimum of one journal or conference paper to support your research progress / outcomes.
• Carry out high-quality literature review in line with the requirements of the funded project and produce a report for peer review by Reconmatic partners
• Liaise with MS team members / Academic partners / industry partners and other demonstration partners to achieve the project deliverables.
• Maintain high standards of commercial confidentiality to preserve respective Intellectual Property rights for all parties involved.
• Perform any other duties required to meet the requirements of the Reconmatic R&D scope – this can be shared with you during the interview process.
• Hold regular meetings with MS team and our R&D partners
• Conduct computer demo simulation to MS, industry & academic partners
• Create and disseminate research outcomes through the Reconmatic partners for review and at relevant conferences, exhibitions, industry events.
• Visit partner industries within the UK (limited to Manchester Region) and collaborate in terms of people, processes, and enabling technologies relevant for this research.

Making the most of this opportunity for you...

Exposure to various parts of the Morgan Sindall group, its supply chain and academic partners creates opportunities for expanding your professional network more than you can imagine.

Our Reconmatic R&D team will provide opportunities to attend events, conferences and other opportunities to meet and test out your ideas in a collaborative way including exposure to PhD candidates and researchers with our local University partners including University of Salford, Manchester University, University of Central Lancashire and beyond.

Our extensive supply chain provides further opportunities to grow your network and develop your wider skillset.

Pre-requisites – Right to Work

You must have right to work in the UK without a sponsor – any post-academic right to work will need to be evidenced and validated by our 3rd party recruitment agency ‘BLUE OCTOPUS’. You must have the ability to take up a full-time role of 37.5 hours per week on a hybrid basis (office / remote based split to be agreed)

Person Specification

A = Application form, I = Interview, E = Evaluation Assessment

Details of any assessments required will be provided in the invitation to interview letter.

Qualifications

Background & Experience

Knowledge

Interpersonal Skills & Competencies

A = Application form, I = Interview, E = Evaluation Assessment / Presentation

Details of the evaluation assessment required will be provided in the invitation to interview letter.

Candidate Guidance:

In order to fully meet the essential criteria candidates must show clear evidence of how you meet the criteria.Simply stating that you have a skill or experience in an area is not sufficient, you must provide a clear example to show how you have met each of the criteria above.