ML & AI Engineer - Barcelona (Work & Study Programme)

Harbour.Space Institute of Technology offers a unique work-study opportunity through its ML & AI Engineer Apprenticeship combined with a Master of Data and Computer Science programme. This programme provides project-based academic learning alongside an industry internship as an ML & AI Engineer, with full tuition covered through a scholarship.

We're looking for a mid-level ML or AI Engineer to join one of our Barcelona-based partner companies through Harbour.Space's Work & Study Programme, a structured track for engineers who want to work in Spain while completing a fully-funded Master's in Data and Computer Science.

What you'll be doing:

You'll build, train, and deploy ML models that ship to real users, design and maintain end-to-end ML pipelines from raw data ingestion to model serving, optimise feature engineering and model performance, and collaborate directly with engineering and product teams to integrate ML capabilities into the core product.

Who we're looking for:

• 3+ years of professional experience in machine learning engineering or applied AI
• Strong Python proficiency, production code, not just notebooks
• Hands-on experience building, training, and deploying ML models in real product environments
• Solid understanding of the full ML lifecycle: data pipelines, feature engineering, model training, evaluation, and deployment
• Experience with at least one of: computer vision, NLP, recommendation systems, generative AI, or large-scale data pipelines
• Proficiency with PyTorch or TensorFlow
• Familiarity with big data tools, such as Spark, HDFS, Kafka, or similar
• Comfortable working in cross-functional teams alongside software engineers and product managers
• Fluent English
• Open to relocating to Barcelona

What you need:

• Build, train, and deploy ML models that ship to real users in production
• Design and maintain end-to-end ML pipelines, from raw data ingestion to model serving
• Implement and optimise feature engineering, model selection, and classifier performance
• Analyse large datasets to surface patterns and translate findings into product or technical decisions
• Collaborate with engineering and product teams to integrate ML capabilities into the core product
• Iterate on model performance using real user data and production feedback loops
• Communicate technical findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

What you get:

• Full-time professional role in a partner company
• Full Master's in Data Science or Computer Science with €0 tuition, covered by scholarship
• Monthly stipend while you work and study to cover your expenses in Barcelona
• Cohort of international mid-level professionals going through the same track

Not a fit if: you're looking for a remote role, you have less than 2 years of experience, or you're primarily seeking a visa rather than a career step.