JOB SUMMARY

Artificial intelligence (AI) capability advances are faster than our ability to ensure their safety. While AI has the opportunity to drive economic growth and transform healthcare and security, it also introduces profound risk. This includes the misuse of systems by bad actors – for example, to conduct sophisticated cyber-attacks – and the potential loss of human control over advanced systems.
Governments must act decisively, but they need empirical, rigorous understanding of AI risks and mitigation’s to do so effectively. That’s why the UK launched the AI Security Institute – a global leader in evaluating advanced AI systems. We’re now the largest government backed AI security research lab in the world, and in the coming years we will forge a path to safe AI development in partnership with other governments, industry, and academia.
We exist to bridge the gap between AI’s rapid development, and the tools needed to manage it. If you’re passionate about shaping the future of AI safety and security, we want you on our team.

JOB DESCRIPTION

AISI’s Research Unit is a dynamic blend of technical researchers and delivery staff who work collaboratively to scope and deliver our research projects. Our delivery team members are integral to our success. They are the driving force behind our research, unblocking issues, managing risk, and ensuring our research remains high quality and in line with the standards demanded by AISI and government. They set the conditions for success for our technical teams. We aren’t looking for a project manager, you don’t need to be fully agile accredited, but rather a pace setter, fixer, and doer.
If you can demonstrate that you have delivered big things in complex environments, work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams, and can operate under pressure, then you should apply.
We are recruiting for a Delivery Manager in each of the following teams. If you have a preference for a specific role, make this known in your CV.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

AISI’s Research Unit is building a community which is committed to getting things done and can navigate uncharted territories to achieve novel outcomes within government. You will be excellent at building strong, trusting relationships, problem-solving, and co-ordinating complex projects to support the organisation to deliver tangible benefits for AI safety research and evaluations. These are roles in which high agency is encouraged, 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. Has an entrepreneurial approach: comfortable navigating uncertainty, adapting quickly, taking a “trial and get feedback approach”, and being comfortable with taking controlled risk. Proven track record of delivery across the full-project life cycle, and capable of spinning multiple projects in parallel.
• Moves fast. Hits the ground running. Able to work effectively at pace, take decisions in the face of incomplete data, and remain calm and resilient under pressure. 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. Keeps people motivated and on-side even where incentives don’t necessarily immediately align.
• 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. Actively seeks out opportunities for growth and development and helps others to do the same.

Desirable (not essential) skills and experience:

• Experience in technical/R&D environment, or in a start-up.
• Domain knowledge on Frontier AI.
• An understanding of the breadth of the AI ethics, safety, and alignment spaces.
• Experience managing and delivering a broad portfolio of projects.
• For the safeguards team: experience working on or studying adversarial ML and/or AI-system safeguards.
• For the alignment team: experience of alignment agendas relating to preventing post-AGI systems from causing harm.

If you have the skills, experience and motivation to help drive forward AISI’s critical mission at the cutting edge of AI safety, we want to hear from you. Join us and let’s ensure that the immense potential of AI benefits humanity while navigating the risks and challenges responsibly.
Safeguards candidates should be willing to apply for SC and the successful candidates must be willing to undergo DV clearance once in post.
SC requires 2 years UK residency out of the last 5 years, at least one year of which must be 12 consecutive months. DV requires 5 years UK residency out of the last 10 years, at least one year of which must be 12 consecutive months.

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)
• 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

TYPE OF ROLE

Operational Delivery
Project Delivery
Science
Strategy

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A DELIVERY MANAGER

Amongst other things, your responsibilities will include:

• Drive strategy and execution, working with your Workstream Lead, researchers, and other delivery staff, to shape and deliver on research direction.
• Maintain delivery momentum, fostering a fast-paced research environment, clearing roadblocks while managing risk.
• Building impactful partnerships, leveraging grants, competitions and other delivery arrangements.
• Engage key stakeholders within Government and externally, including national security organisations, industry, and academia.
• Deliver through others, including task managing at least one member of staff, with potential to scale over time.
• Stay up to date on advancements with AI security, ethics, safeguards, and applications.

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. Has an entrepreneurial approach: comfortable navigating uncertainty, adapting quickly, taking a “trial and get feedback approach”, and being comfortable with taking controlled risk. Proven track record of delivery across the full-project life cycle, and capable of spinning multiple projects in parallel.
• Moves fast. Hits the ground running. Able to work effectively at pace, take decisions in the face of incomplete data, and remain calm and resilient under pressure. 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. Keeps people motivated and on-side even where incentives don’t necessarily immediately align.
• 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. Actively seeks out opportunities for growth and development and helps others to do the same