Testing Delivery Manager
Job summary
The UK AI Security Institute is the world's largest and best-funded government team dedicated to understanding the capabilities and risk characteristics of advanced AI, and developing practical risk mitigations.
We’re situated in the heart of the UK government, in the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with direct lines to No. 10, and we work with frontier developers and governments globally.
We’re here because governments should play a fundamental role in the success of frontier AI, and to do so must be equipped with a scientific understanding of the risk. With our resources, agility and international influence, this is the best place to shape AI development and government action to ensure AI systems are deployed safely and responsibly.
Job description
Testing Team
The Testing team is at the core of AISI’s mission. Our team works with world-class researchers and engineers to evaluate the world's most advanced AI systems. Our findings shape how developers build and how governments prepare.
We work with leading AI labs (like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind) to evaluate the safety and security of their most capable AI systems. We run many of these evaluations before the public release of a system (“pre-deployment”), where we can make the greatest impact with developers before systems are made widely available. That means we regularly deliver projects to rapid and condensed timelines, pulling together a large range of senior and technical staff across government to do so.
We also take on strategic projects, for example shaping our testing strategy, creating new testing processes, or answering wider research questions. It requires working collaboratively with technical teams and civil servants across AISI (and beyond), grappling with technical detail, and seeking agreement for our decisions from across the organisation.
Overall, this is a high-performance team, with periods of pacey work and consistent exposure to seniors across the organisation. We work together as a unit - pitching in with a spare pair of hands or a brainstorming chat. We hold a high bar for quality. We care deeply about development (with dedication to giving and receiving feedback). We are highly motivated and curious about the problems presented by AI.
G7 Testing Delivery Manager
The role will report to the Head of Testing (G6). You may be expected to line manage a Senior Executive Officer (SEO) or Higher Executive Officer (HEO).
In this role, you will need to:
- Lead testing exercises of frontier models. This is fast-paced work, delivering testing exercises to tight, and changeable, timelines. You’ll lead the exercises end-to-end: scoping and preparing for the exercise in partnership with the lab; managing AISI technical teams and experts to set up and run evaluations; drafting reports and recommendations; and sharing information with Ministers, seniors across government, and the developer.
- Lead teams to deliver high-impact projects,from tackling large-scale and thorny research questions to building new testing processes. You’ll need to demonstrate thought leadership and proactively translate this into action within your team.
- Build consensus on testing issues across AISI, wider government and external partners, bringing diverse groups to agreement on strategy and process, even where their priorities differ.
- Develop strong networks across AISI and UK government, representing AISI credibly and building bridges to help teams work together effectively.
- Build and upskill a team, by providing excellent support and coaching. You’ll foster a culture of development and high performance. This role includes direct line management responsibilities.
- Model and reinforce AISI values: mission-driven, agency, camaraderie, comfort with ambiguity, and curiosity.
In return, we offer:
- Impact you couldn't have anywhere else: Influence on frontier AI safety and security, and an opportunity to shape the first and best-resourced public-interest research team focused on AI security outcomes.
- Work with world-leading research teams, and experts across national security and policy.
- Growth and autonomy: If you're talented and driven, you'll own important problems early. Your work will always tie back to impact. We will empower you to challenge on strategy and process.
- Support for self-development, including annual stipends and 5 days off for L&D.
Person specification
Essential skills and experience:
These are roles in which high agency is encouraged, and where you will have the opportunity to take on high-profile projects.
This might be a great role for you if you are someone who:
- Is motivated by a strong desire to ensure that frontier AI systems benefit people globally.
- Gets things done. Project manages teams to deliver high-quality results under rapid deadlines. Is able to react dynamically to guide teams through uncertainty and change.
- Thrives on high autonomy. Demonstrates leadership and accountability, proactively taking ownership of obstacles to drive and maintain momentum.
- Is adept with stakeholders. Develops strong relationships with a diverse set of partners to address complex challenges, pre-empting and resolving barriers.
- Sets strategy. Builds a vision of how activity can lead to impact, shaping team direction.
- Wants to learn. Is curious, and comfortable navigating unfamiliar technical topics to learn quickly. Seeks opportunities for growth and development, and helps others to do the same.
- Builds motivated, high-performing teams. Supports upskilling, empowerment and career growth.
Desirable skills and experience:
- Experience working with research scientists or engineers.
- Experience working on frontier AI.
- Experience working with Ministers, and seniors across government departments.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £63,165, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £18,298 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).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
The process for this role will be split across four stages, as follows:
- PAPER SIFT
- INTERVIEW 1 [Early November] – Light-touch conversation focusing on experience and motivations
- INTERVIEW 2 [Early November] – Interview including task which will include competency based questions. You be assessed against experience.
- INTERVIEW 3 [Early November] – Meeting AISI senior stakeholders.
Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.
To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, not exceeding more than two pages.
- A personal statement of up to 500 words.
In your personal statement please outline how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.
In the event of a high volume of applications, the initial sift will be conducted on CVs only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
An information and Q&A session on the role will be held at 2pm on Friday 23 October; sign up here.
Sift and interview dates
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Further Information
Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.
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.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
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.
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and can be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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
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 : James Burn
- Email : james.burn2@dsit.gov.uk
Recruitment team
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)Salary range
- £63,165 - £71,040 per year