Director AISI

Job summary

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the defining strategic technologies of the 21st century. The capabilities of advanced AI systems are accelerating at extraordinary speed, with profound implications for national security, economic power, scientific progress and societal resilience.

The UK Government is at the forefront of answering increasingly urgent questions about these systems: what they are capable of, what risks they may create and how the UK should respond as capabilities continue to advance. The AI Security Institute (AISI) was created to answer those questions.

AISI exists to build the scientific and technical understanding the UK Government needs to navigate the emergence of increasingly powerful AI systems. We combine frontier technical expertise, direct access to advanced AI models and the authority of the British state to help shape the international approach to AI safety and security.

In less than two years, AISI has become one of the leading institutions in the international AI safety ecosystem. We have conducted pre-deployment testing of advanced AI systems, driven concrete safety improvements with leading AI developers, published influential research on emerging capabilities and open-sourced technical infrastructure now used by researchers worldwide.

We have:

• Published the first government assessment of frontier AI trends, finding AI capabilities surpassing expert baselines across biology, chemistry and cyber.
• Tested frontier models before they reach the public and driven concrete safety improvements
• Open sourced Inspect: our evaluation framework, now used by researchers worldwide.
• Set out ourresearch agenda, spanning cyber, chem-bio, alignment, control and societal resilience.
• Launched the Alignment Project, awarding over £27 million to more than 60 teams globally.

We have built the largest government technical team in the world focused on AI safety and security with over 100 technical staff. The next phase is about turning that capability into lasting international influence. As advanced AI systems become more capable and strategically important, the UK Government will increasingly require institutions capable not only of understanding these technologies, but shaping how they are evaluated, governed and safely developed internationally. AISI intends to be one of those institutions.

We are now looking for an exceptional leader to help take us forward.

Job description

The Director will lead AISI at a pivotal moment for the development of advanced AI systems.

• As co-leader of AISI alongside the Chief Research Officer, you will shape the Institute's strategy, international relationships and long-term impact. You will be responsible for ensuring the Institute operates as a trusted, effective and resilient national capability — translating world-leading technical insight into proportionate government action while stewarding a complex organisation under intense public, political and international scrutiny.
• You will lead AISI's engagement with the national security community, ensuring the Institute's work informs security, resilience and preparedness in relation to AI-enabled risks. You will act as a trusted interlocutor on highly sensitive issues, supporting decision-making in time-critical and high-risk contexts.
• You will provide clear, timely and authoritative advice to Ministers and senior officials on the implications of frontier AI developments for security, resilience and public policy. Working with the CRO, you will ensure that advice is grounded in robust technical understanding while remaining accessible and decision-ready.
• You will oversee the development of AISI's international strategy, determining the UK's objectives for international cooperation on AI safety and security and how to achieve them. You will represent the UK internationally with like-minded governments, international organisations and multilateral initiatives, and engage constructively with leading AI developers — securing cooperation while maintaining independence and public trust.
• You will lead a complex, multidisciplinary organisation, ensuring robust governance, security, ethics, assurance and risk-management arrangements appropriate to the sensitivity of AISI's work. You will steward public resources effectively and build an inclusive, high-performance culture that attracts and retains exceptional talent across a range of professional backgrounds.
• This role operates at the intersection of national security, international diplomacy, public policy and delivery. The decisions made here will directly influence UK and international approaches to frontier AI governance and risk management.
• The Chief Research Officer and AISI Director are equal co-leaders of the Institute, jointly responsible for its strategy, delivery and reputation. Together they co lead an organisation of approximately 200 staff, spanning research, engineering, policy, operations, delivery and national security functions. The CRO leads on scientific direction, technical capability and research impact. The Director leads on policy, national security and operations. Together, they are responsible for building a globally respected institution capable of helping the UK Government navigate the development of advanced AI systems.

Person specification

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• We are looking for an exceptional leader with the judgement, credibility and authority to help lead AISI through its next phase of growth.
• You will have a proven track record leading a complex, high-profile organization, including setting long-term vision, shaping culture and holding overall accountability for outcomes and quality through periods of growth, ambiguity and external scrutiny.
• You should be capable of operating effectively in fast-moving, high-stakes environments where evidence is often incomplete and decisions carry significant consequences. You will need to demonstrate a track record of taking consequential decisions under time pressure and intense scrutiny, comfortable making high-stakes recommendations, challenging received wisdom and holding difficult positions with senior stakeholders where evidence demands it.
• You will need a strong understanding of AI systems and their associated security risks for national security and public policy, or a demonstrable ability to rapidly acquire and deploy technical expertise at the most senior levels.
• You will need proven ability to build relationships and influence at the most senior levels across government, industry and academia, with evidence of building coalitions, shaping agendas and securing outcomes across international partners, national security communities and industry. You will need a track record of providing clear, robust advice to Ministers, Permanent Secretaries or equivalents on complex and technically demanding issues, and being accountable for that advice under scrutiny.
• Just as importantly, you will need to be an exceptional builder of institutions, capable of bringing coherence to a complex organisation operating across multiple domains, designing the structures, governance and culture needed to operate at scale, and ensuring alignment between technical, policy and operational work.
• We are looking for someone capable of combining strategic vision, institutional leadership and the ability to operate at the highest levels of government and international diplomacy at a moment that may shape the trajectory of AI globally.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

TOWN HALL CANDIDATE ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Oliver Ilott, DG Emerging Technology and AI will be holding an informal information session via MSTeams on Tuesday 9th June between 2 – 3pm for potential applicants to find out more about the role of Director, AISI. Whether you are contemplating an application or simply want more insight into the role and its potential impact, this session will provide you with a much better understanding of the environment, expectations and ambitions of DSIT’s digital and AI agendas.

Please email etai.dg@dsit.gov.ukto register your interest in attending. DSIT will then send you an MSTeams invite.

HOW TO APPLY

When applying you will need to follow the online application process by completing a two page CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, along with a statement of suitability (Max 750 words).

Applications will be sifted to select those demonstrating the best fit with the post against the criteria set out in the person specification. Please ensure you keep this in mind when writing your CV and supporting statement.​ The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which a decision is expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

ASSESSMENT

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a fireside chat, a take home task and a Staff Engagement Exercise in advance of the final panel interview. This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Shortlisted candidates can request an informal conversation about the role with the vacancy holder, [etai.dg@dsit.gov.uk]. This discussion does not form part of the assessment.

Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity.

For further information regarding the assessments please visit - https://scs-assessments.co.uk/ .

INTERVIEW

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

As part of the process there may be assessment of skills either by a presentation or simulated exercise with follow up questions. Full details of the requirements will be given to shortlisted candidates ahead of their interview.

SELECTION AND FEEDBACK

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible, and will offer the opportunity to discuss feedback for all candidates who reached interview. A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to fill future suitable vacancies.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance dsitresourcing.GRS@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/

Attachments

2026-06-03 DSIT Director AISI 363568 Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 9MB)DSIT 463568Director AISI Accessibility Pack Opens in new window (docx, 1972kB)