Joel Strickland

Joel Strickland, PhD, CEng

Artificial Intelligence Engineer

Problem-solving • Decision intelligence • Practical systems

I turn ambiguous real-world problems into measurable, working solutions—by combining data, modelling, software engineering, and clear decision-making under uncertainty.

Published work with: Rolls-Royce, DOW, voestalpine, BAT, Equivital, FUCHS, Yili, OCAS, AMRC, and more. See work →

Track Record

By the Numbers

9.4

Years in ML/AI

Research + industry

Background

About

I'm an Artificial Intelligence Engineer focused on practical problem-solving. I enjoy work where the goal is clear impact: improved decisions, reduced risk, faster delivery, and systems that teams can actually run. 9.4 years in ML/AI—from PhD research with Rolls-Royce through to industrial AI delivery across pharma, chemicals, materials, manufacturing, and consumer goods.

My background spans modelling under uncertainty, end-to-end software delivery, and communicating complex ideas to stakeholders. I use whatever approach best fits the problem—from classical methods through to modern ML and LLMs.

What I Do

Areas of Expertise

Data-to-Insight Solutions

Turning messy, complex data into actionable decisions—especially industrial datasets.

ML Systems & Backends

Building ML pipelines and backend services (APIs, data flows); end-to-end solution architecture from data to deployed service.

Enterprise Enablement

Technical workshops, training, and translating business requirements into delivery roadmaps.

Agentic AI & LLM Systems

Autonomous agents, multi-agent architectures, and RAG systems—when LLMs are the right tool for the problem.

Technical Demos & Prototyping

Building custom proofs-of-concept and demonstrations for enterprise stakeholders.

Thought Leadership

Speaking at webinars and conferences on AI/ML applications and industrial transformation.

Work & Writing

Portfolio

I led these projects from start to finish—framing the problem, wrangling data, building ML models, designing adaptive experiments, and extracting insights through explainable AI. As the primary technical lead, I proved value through pilots that delivered measurable impact on messy industrial data.

Conference, 2025
AIChE Global Process Safety Conference

ML applications in process safety

Conference, 2025
AIM 2025: Federated Learning in Materials Science

Privacy-preserving ML for R&D at AI in Materials conference

Conference, 2024
AIChE Spring Meeting

ML for Process Safety presentation

Conference, 2023
CATMAT Phase 2 Meeting, Birmingham

How ML + adaptive experimental design can accelerate battery R&D

Conference, 2023
3rd International Forum on Intelligent Metallurgy & Materials, Beijing

Metallurgical Optimisation with ML: From Unstructured Data to Structured Insights

Conference, 2022
The Advanced Materials Show

Information Alchemy: Extracting Value from Real-World Experimental Data in Materials R&D

All Publications
How I Work

From Problem to Production

I combine problem-framing, modelling, and engineering to deliver solutions that work in the real world.

Frame the Decision

Clarify what success looks like, the constraints, and the real question to answer.

Build Proof of Value

Prototype quickly to validate the approach before scaling up.

Quantify Uncertainty

Calibrated predictions and risk-aware evaluation—no wishful assumptions.

Deliver & Hand Over

From data pipelines to deployed services—built to be used and maintained.

Technical Skills

Technology Stack

The tools and technologies I work with—from core ML frameworks through to modern LLM systems and industrial domain expertise. Click to expand each category.

Modelling & ML

PyTorch • TensorFlow • Scikit-Learn • Conformal Prediction • Uncertainty Quantification • Bayesian Optimization • Active Learning • Federated Learning

Languages & Frameworks

Python • FastAPI • NumPy • Pandas • SQL • REST APIs

LLM Tooling

LangChain • LangGraph • RAG Systems • MCP Protocol • Gemini • Claude • OpenAI

Infrastructure & Dev

Docker • GCP • Vertex AI • Git • CI/CD

Industry Background

Materials Science • Pharmaceuticals • Chemicals • Manufacturing • Consumer Goods • Food & Beverage

Common Questions

FAQ

Pharma, chemicals, materials science, manufacturing, food & beverage, and aerospace. Most of my work involves high-stakes industrial R&D data.

No—those are tools. I use whatever approach best fits the problem, whether that's classical statistics, ML, or modern LLMs.

PhD in Materials Science with ML (Rolls-Royce sponsored), Chartered Engineer (CEng), 20+ peer-reviewed publications with 290+ citations. Strong in Python, ML/statistics, and backend development.

I start with the decision, not the model. What action will change based on the answer? Then I build the simplest thing that proves value and make it reliable.

Contact Information

Contact

Questions about my work? You can reach me via email or LinkedIn.