Computer Vision R&D Engineer

Company Overview

Through its Social Innovation Business that brings together IT, OT(Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi contributes to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates globally in four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – and the Strategic SIB Business Unit for new growth businesses. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi generates value from integrating data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2024 (ended March 31, 2025) totaled 9,783.3 billion yen, with 618 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 280,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.

Hitachi's European R&D Centre drives "Social Innovation" through digital, energy, and mobility solutions, focusing on sustainability and AI. It operates as a distributed network of labs (London, Cambridge, Munich, Sophia-Antipolis) engaging in collaborative, market-driven innovation with European partners. Key focus areas sustainable and renewable energy, nature-based solutions, advanced mobility and resilient industry.

What you’ll be doing

Role Overview

We are seeking an Intern Computer Vision Engineer to join Hitachi’s European Research & Development Centre for a period of six months starting October 2026. In this role, the intern will contribute to the development of anomaly detection systems, using Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Vision Language Models, for operating technology including railway rolling stock and infrastructure, and microscopy imaging.

Key Responsibilities

• Research & Algorithm Development: Research, develop, and validate computer vision algorithms (object detection, segmentation, anomaly detection, tracking, few shot approaches) for automated and generalised defect and anomaly detection.
• Deep Learning & Modelling: Train and optimize deep learning models (e.g., CNNs, YOLO, Vision Transformers) for high-accuracy and high-speed computer vision-based data analysis.
• Vision Language Modelling: Develop models to identify defects based on variations from normal images. Design and evaluate vision‑language models to interpret images and support anomaly‑detection tasks.
• Innovation: Stay up to date with the latest advancements in AI, Machine Learning, and Computer Vision literature to maintain competitive advantage.

Benefits Package

Company Funded Benefits

• Generous holiday entitlement - with the option to buy up to an additional 5 days per year
• A Holiday Banking scheme allowing you to bank untaken holiday to use another year
• Group Personal Pension
• Private Medical Insurance with self-funded option to cover family members
• Employee Assistance Programme available to all employees
• Personal Accident Insurance

Voluntary Benefits (funded by employee) including;

• Cycle To Work scheme
• Gym Membership
• Dental Insurance with option to include dependent children
• Health screening
• Dining card

Our Values

We are proud to say we are an equal opportunity employer and welcome all applicants for employment without attention to any factor that doesn’t impact your ability to do the job, including race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. We are proud of Japanese heritage, with our values expressed through the Hitachi Spirit:

Wa – Harmony, Trust, Respect Makoto – Sincerity, Fairness, Honesty, Integrity Kaitakusha-Seishin – Pioneering Spirit, Challenge

If, like us, you’re motivated by delivering first class services, thrive in a fast paced and supportive environment and want to help Hitachi to drive social innovation, we’d love to hear from you

What you bring to the team

We’re looking for a team player, who is motivated by delivering great work and the Hitachi vision.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and background:

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field with a focus on Computer Vision.
• Strong Python and proficient C++ programming skills.
• Hands-on experience with libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and OpenCV.
• Familiarity with 2D and 3D vision techniques (3D reconstruction, point clouds).
• Experience with installing and running open-source software.
• Strong mathematical foundation in linear algebra, probability, and statistics.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ideally with experience in industrial automation, defect and anomaly detection, or quality control workflows.
• Ideally with experience of Edge AI deployment (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, TensorRT).
• Experience with containerisation technologies such a Docker.
• Working knowledge of Git for version control and collaborative development.
• Familiarity with synthetic data generation and augmentation methodologies.
• Published research in top-tier computer vision conferences or journals.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team.
• Proactive and self-driven, with an ability to apply leading-edge Data Science and AI technologies.