Strategy and Delivery Adviser - Cyber and Autonomous Systems Team - AI Security Institute

Job summary

The UK AI Security Institute is the world's largest and best-funded team dedicated to understanding the capabilities and impacts of advanced AI and developing practical risk mitigations. We’re in the heart of the UK government with direct lines to No. 10, and we work with frontier developers and governments globally.

We’re here because governments are critical for advanced AI going well, and UK AISI is uniquely positioned to mobilise them. With our resources, agility and international influence, this is the best place to shape both AI development and government action to ensure AI systems are deployed safely and responsibly.

The Cyber and Autonomous Systems Team (CAST) is looking to research and map the evolving frontier of AI capabilities and propensities to inform critical security decisions that reduce loss-of-control risks from frontier AI. We focus on preventing harms from high-impact cybersecurity capabilities and highly capable autonomous AI systems. Our team is a blend of high-velocity generalists and technical staff, from organisations such as Meta, Amazon, Palantir, DSTL and Jane Street. Our recent work has included building model evaluations suites – such as Replibench – the world’s most comprehensive evaluation suite for understanding the risk of a model autonomously replicating itself over the internet. We regularlytest the cyber and other relevant capabilities of frontier models, before they are released, to understand their risks. We also conduct research into the potential risk models that frontier AI systems might pose.

Job description

As a Strategy & Delivery Adviser you will work to drive forward the design and delivery of high-quality evaluations of advanced AI systems and novel research. We are looking for an experienced operator who is comfortable working at pace and in ambiguity, who can translate complex research for policy makers and operate within Government and the Whitehall machine. Strategy and Delivery is the enablement of high impact research. It is a profession unique to AISI, and is a hybrid of functions including strategy, policy, project management and others. In the Cyber and Autonomous Systems Team this involves:

• Delivery– navigating government to enable seamless delivery of AISI research outputs and holding relationships with commercial, financial and legal teams.
• Strategic alignment – providing the framework and structures to drive strategic alignment and key priorities for our evaluation building projects, ensuring they are aligned with the broader goals of the team.
• Project management of evaluation building and delivery - tracking and coordinating contractors and internal projects that take evaluations from designs to our testing suite.
• Building the engine for the team – creating and optimising processes and frameworks that build future capacity within the team.
• Stakeholder engagement and communication –supporting the building of relationships and communication with other teams at AISI, organisations within government and external collaborators.

Person specification

This might be a great role for you if you are someone who:

• Is motivated by a strong desire to ensure the safe development of frontier AI systems.
• Has experience coordinating and project managing large technical projects across multiple teams. Alongside willingness to lean in and understand the technical details to ensure delivery success.
• Is comfortable navigating uncertainty, and adapting quickly. Understands when to consult others, what questions to ask and identify a path through to a solution.
• Gets things done. Hits the ground running. Has experience working in a delivery-focussed role, with a strong track record of managing complex projects and shipping good product.
• Self-motivates and is comfortable with agency. Can operate with high autonomy and maintain delivery momentum, engaging with experts and non-experts alike on complex, technical problems.
• Works well in a team. Collaborates effectively with colleagues, builds strong relationships, and contributes to a positive team dynamic.
• Wants to learn. Curious, and eager to expand their knowledge and skills. Excited by the prospect of identifying knowledge gaps and seeking to fill them.
• Security Clearance. Willing to apply for developed vetting.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,415, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £11,708 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.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to provided responses to the below questions.

• Why have you applied to join the AI Security Institute? (250 words)
• Describe something that has significantly shifted your view on AI risk, and why. (250 words)
• What is an important truth which you believe very few people agree with you about? (250 words)

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the CV.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

INTERVIEW 1: Light-touch conversation focusing on experience and motivations.

INTERVIEW 2: Task-based assessment, including a pre-submitted and presented written exercise, and one additional task. Task details will be sent with the interview 2 invitation.

INTERVIEW 3: Meeting AISI senior leadership.

Sift and interview dates

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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 : Daisy Newbold-Harrop
• Email : Daisy.Newbold-Harrop@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Georgia.Stone@dsit.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 DSITrecruitment.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: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DSIT T&Cs v1.2 Opens in new window (docx, 179kB)