Becoming a Freelance MLOps Engineer

What does an MLOps engineer do?

MLOps stands for machine learning operations. An engineer specialising in this area will apply DevOps (development and operations) principles to the machine learning lifecycle, making it more efficient and robust.

An MLOps engineer will be hired by organisations, big and small, across various industries to focus on the continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) for machine learning, ensuring the scalability and reliability of deployed AI systems.

How to become a freelance MLOps engineer

While some people may choose the formal education route – studying for a degree in something like computer science or data science, for example – it’s not compulsory for those looking to become an MLOps engineer.

You will, of course, need to gain the necessary knowledge and skills in areas such as:

• Machine learning
• DevOps practices
• Cloud computing/cloud platforms
• Software engineering
• Data engineering
• Programming
• CI/CD pipelines

It’s certainly worth acquiring some sort of qualifications in these areas and gaining practical experience too. You should then look to platforms like GitHub or DagsHub to showcase your portfolio to potential clients.

Looking for work as a new contractor can feel a bit overwhelming – here are a few tips on where to start:

Networking
It’s important to make connections with other professionals in your field and build your contacts as you go along, keeping in touch with anyone you have worked with or met through others, who may be handy to know when it comes to finding work.

Social media is a great way to connect with people, and signing up to work sites such as LinkedIn can help you to network with those in your industry who may either be hiring or know of any jobs going.

Read our Finding work on LinkedIn page for help and advice on using the platform to its full potential.

Recruitment agencies
Recruitment sites can be really useful for finding contract work, especially if you sign up to agencies that specialise in your field.

Create your own website
Having your own website is a great way to reach your audience and show off your skills – think of it as a portfolio demonstrating your best work.

Make sure you keep the design simple and easy to use, only include relevant content and take SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) into consideration.

You may also find our How to Become a Contractor page useful for advice on preparing for self-employment and your options when it comes to limited vs umbrella contracting.

Benefits of becoming a freelance MLOps engineer

There are so many benefits to freelancing.

Financially, there’s the fact that contractors can often charge much higher rates of pay compared to permanent workers in the same role.

They’re also able to take advantage of claiming back on expenses made for the running of their business, which will, in turn, reduce their tax bill at the end of each year. For more advice on this, take a look at our Limited Company Expenses Guide.

Another huge benefit of being your own boss is being able to create a better work/life balance for yourself – you choose your own clients, as well as pick the hours and days that you want to work.

Read our Benefits of Contracting page for more information on this.

Do I need an accountant?

While there are some who believe an accountant is a luxury and not a necessity, the help and guidance a good accountant can offer is invaluable.

For example, they’ll be able to:

• Take care of certain tasks, such as filling in and filing forms, leaving you to concentrate on your work and enjoy your spare time.
• Ensure that you remain compliant with your financial liabilities and keep on top of important deadlines.
• Provide useful financial advice that you might not have been aware of, which could potentially save you money in the long run.

It’s also worth noting that accountancy fees are an allowable expense, helping to further reduce your tax bill at the end of each year.

To know what to look for in a good accountant, read our How to find a good accountant page.

If you need any further help, or you’d like to sign up, you can either contact us via our online chat, call one of our friendly experts on 01442 795 100 or email sophie.lewis@dolanaccountancy.com.