Python Developer - Audio and Signal Processing

Python Developer - Audio and Signal Processing

Join to apply for the Python Developer - Audio and Signal Processing role at Ipsos in the UK

Ipsos CrossMedia is at a pivotal and exciting stage of growth, and we are looking for a motivated Senior Python Developer with very specific Audio and Signal Processing skills to join our innovative technical research team. This is a fantastic opportunity to work on both high-profile, established projects for blue‑chip clients and to contribute to brand‑new, greenfield initiatives that are revolutionising market research.

Note : This role is based in our Cambridge offices but we also welcome applications from those who can be based out of our London offices with some travel to Cambridge.

What is in it for you?

You will get the opportunity to:

• Conduct High‑Impact Research : You will be a key contributor to research into our core audio watermarking and fingerprinting systems. Your work will focus on improving their robustness, accuracy, and scalability, ensuring our data is of the highest integrity for our market research clients.
• Develop and Maintain Core Software : You will take ownership of the development and maintenance of critical software components that power our technology, including our core encoding/decoding libraries, file‑based utilities, and fingerprinting search libraries.
• Support Innovation into Production : You will support the implementation of research projects into our production software, helping to turn high‑level requirements into detailed technical specifications.
• Contribute to our Intellectual Property : You will be a key contributor of innovative ideas, identifying and helping to draft descriptions for new patent applications to protect our competitive edge.
• Mentor and Collaborate : You will help elevate the team’s capabilities by acting as a technical mentor for other scientists and developers, sharing your knowledge and championing best practices in research and software development.
• Engage with Key Stakeholders : You will communicate directly with customers as a subject‑matter expert to understand their needs, provide support on complex technical topics, and contribute to commercial proposals.
• Ensure Project Success : You will play a key role in project planning by providing accurate estimates for your work, taking responsibility for your deadlines, and proactively communicating progress.
• Champion Technical Excellence : You will continuously stay up‑to‑date with new technologies, automate tasks to improve efficiency, and apply your skills to keep our solutions modern and effective.

The Role:

As a key member of our team, you will be at the heart of our technical research initiatives, with a primary focus on the audio technologies that power our media measurement solutions. We are constantly exploring the cutting‑edge and want to expand our future capabilities. If you are passionate about applying deep scientific knowledge, especially in areas like audio watermarking and fingerprinting, to solve complex market research challenges, you will thrive here. You will not only enhance our current patent portfolio but also have the autonomy to propose new directions that will shape the future of our data products.

About you:

• Strong Experience in Audio and Signal Processing: A demonstrable, strong background in digital signal processing (DSP) with a specific focus on audio.
• Proficiency in Python for Research: Extensive hands‑on experience using Python for data analysis, scientific computing, prototyping, and automation. Comfortable with core data science and signal processing libraries (e.g., Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, Scikit‑learn, Librosa).
• Proven Research Background: A strong track record of performing high‑quality, unsupervised research in a relevant field, with a portfolio of projects you have significantly contributed to.
• Bridging Research and Production: Demonstrable experience in translating research concepts into tangible specifications and contributing to their implementation in a production software environment.
• Customer‑Facing Skills: Experience communicating with external customers to establish requirements and provide support.

Desirable Skills (Nice to Have)

• Patent Drafting: Direct experience in drafting patent descriptions and familiarity with the patent application process.
• Experience with Broadcast or Streaming Audio: Familiarity with the specific audio processing chains used in broadcast (e.g., AM/FM radio) or by major streaming services.
• Low‑level/Systems Programming: Experience with C/C++ for developing high‑performance libraries.
• Mentorship Experience: A history of formally or informally mentoring junior team members.
• Commercial Acumen: Experience contributing to commercial proposals, such as Statements of Work.
• Version Control Proficiency: Strong hands‑on experience with version management software, particularly Git.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you as an individual. Our standard benefits include 25 days annual leave, pension contribution, income protection and life assurance. In addition, there are a range of health & wellbeing, financial benefits and professional development opportunities.

We realise you may have commitments outside of work and will consider flexible working applications – please highlight what you are looking for when you make your application. We have a hybrid approach to work and ask people to be in the office or with clients for 3 days per week.

We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success – a more diverse workforce will enable us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients.

We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme, certified as Level 1 Disability Confident Committed. We are dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

Your application will be reviewed by someone from our Talent Team who will be in touch either way to let you know the outcome.

Ready to have an impact? Apply now!

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