About the AI Security Institute
The AI Security Institute is the largest team in a government dedicated to understanding AI capabilities and risks in the world.
Our mission is to equip governments with an empirical understanding of the safety of advanced AI systems. We conduct research to understand the capabilities and impacts of advanced AI and develop and test risk mitigations. We focus on risks with security implications, including the potential of AI to assist with the development of chemical and biological weapons, how it can be used to carry out cyber-attacks, enable crimes such as fraud, and the possibility of loss of control.
The risks from AI are not sci-fi, they are urgent. By combining the agility of a tech start-up with the expertise and mission-driven focus of government, we’re building a unique and innovative organisation to prevent AI’s harms from impeding its potential.
Frontier Awareness
We're focused on keeping AISI abreast of the developments at the frontier of AI. To achieve this we’re performing a variety of market analysis and commercial forecasting activities. We use a wide range of publicly available data to identify trends and anticipate the trajectory of frontier model development.
Role Summary
As Technical Analyst you will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between AI Frontier Model developments and strategic decision making in government. You will be responsible for producing high quality analytical writing, including capability assessments, technical reports, and presentations that distil the current state of AI Frontier Model development into targeted, relevant, and actionable products for policymakers.
The role involves monitoring and analysing emerging trends (technical and commercial), evaluating the technical capabilities of AI systems, and contributing to the AISI’s understanding of the current state of AI Frontier Model development and its implications. You will work closely with the Frontier Awareness team including analysts and data scientists to communicate the results of their analysis to policymakers.
Person Specification
The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven track record of producing clear, compelling technical content for diverse audiences. You should possess a strong foundation in AI and its applications, gained either via experience in AI policy work, or in operational roles involving AI systems.
The ability to synthesise complex information and create a compelling narrative backed by rigorous analytical reasoning is key for success in the role. Experience in technical writing, science communication, and stakeholder management is essential. The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with internal workstreams is crucial for success in this role.
Salary & Benefits
We are hiring individuals at all ranges of seniority and experience within this research unit, and this advert allows you to apply for any of the roles within this range. Your dedicated talent partner will work with you as you move through our assessment process to explain our internal benchmarking process. The full range of salaries are available below, salaries comprise of a base salary, technical allowance plus additional benefits as detailed on this page.
- Level 3 - Total Package £65,000 - £75,000 inclusive of a base salary £35,720 plus additional technical talent allowance of between £29,280 - £39,280
- Level 4 - Total Package £85,000 - £95,000 inclusive of a base salary £42,495 plus additional technical talent allowance of between £42,505 - £52,505
- Level 5 - Total Package £105,000 - £115,000 inclusive of a base salary £55,805 plus additional technical talent allowance of between £49,195 - £59,195
- Level 6 - Total Package £125,000 - £135,000 inclusive of a base salary £68,770 plus additional technical talent allowance of between £56,230 - £66,230
- Level 7 - Total Package £145,000 inclusive of a base salary £68,770 plus additional technical talent allowance of £76,230
This role sits outside of the DDaT pay framework given the scope of this role requires in depth technical expertise in frontier AI safety, robustness and advanced AI architectures.
There are a range of pension options available which can be found through the Civil Service website.
Selection Process
In accordance with the Civil Service Commission rules, the following list contains all selection criteria for the interview process.
Required Experience
We select candidates based on skills and experience in the following areas:
- Science communication (ideally several year’s experience actively writing science communication documents)
- Verbal communication
- Strong all-round knowledge on frontier AI, capability trajectories, and the supply chain.
- Interpersonal skills
Desired Experience
You may be a good fit if you have some of the following skills, experience, and attitudes:
- AI safety research knowledge
- Model evaluations knowledge
- Expertise in document management systems and review tools
- Masters/Bachelor’s degree in an AI/ML discipline (Ph.D. not necessary) or equivalent professional experience.
This post requires a willingness to undergo vetting to achieve Security Clearance (SC), and eligibility to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) if required. This is a UK Nationals only post, as it is a reserved position.
Additional Information
Internal Fraud Database
The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented. For more information please see - Internal Fraud Register.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and get baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) clearance before they can be appointed. Additionally, there is a strong preference for eligibility for counter-terrorist check (CTC) clearance. Some roles may require higher levels of clearance, and we will state this by exception in the job advertisement. See our vetting charter here.
Nationality requirements
We may be able to offer roles to applicant from any nationality or background. As such we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet the standard nationality requirements (opens in a new window).
