About the job

Job summary

The AI Safety Institute is the first state-backed organisation focused on advanced AI safety for the public interest.  We launched at the AI Safety Summit because we believe taking responsible action on this extraordinary technology requires a capable and empowered group of technical experts within government.

Our staff includes senior alumni from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, start-ups and the UK government, and ML professors from Oxford and Cambridge.  We are now calling on the world’s top technical talent to build the institute from the ground up.  This is a truly unique opportunity to help shape AI safety at an international level.

We have ambitious goals and need to move fast.

Develop and conduct evaluations on advanced AI systems
We will characterise safety-relevant capabilities, understand the safety and security of systems, and assess their societal impacts.

Drive foundational AI safety research
We will launch moonshot research projects and convene world-class external researchers.

Facilitate information exchange
We will establish clear information-sharing channels between the Institute and other national and international actors. These include stakeholders such as policymakers and international partners.

Job description

The Resourcing team at AISI are at the leading edge of delivering innovation within Civil Service Resourcing.
We are building a solid reputation for innovating resourcing processes and practices, consistently progressing recruitment needs met quickly and effectively in a dynamic work environment with rapidly changing priorities. 

We have a clear mission to create the best resourcing service within government and we’re looking motivated, proactive people to join our team and help us achieve our mission.

You will have the opportunity to be involved in finding and securing the best and brightest talent within the AI space, the opportunity to further redefine and streamlining our processes to ensure we are able to deliver on recruitment needs quickly.

You will be part of developing, socialising a recruitment and marketing strategy as well as contributing to the launching and running of new talent schemes within the AISI.

These are just some of the exciting work you will be involved in with AISI.

The AI Safety Institute has grown rapidly over the last 6 months and over the coming year we are looking to more than double in size.

This is an opportunity to be part of this exciting team and in ensuring the are at the leading edge of Frontier AI Safety.

In this role you will:-

• Communicating and dealing with a range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, as well as Scientists and external partners
• Be the key point of contact for recruitment campaign requests, working to ensure regular stakeholder engagement and to ensure that high standards are achieved
• Bring your own voice and experience but also an eagerness to support your colleagues
• Ensuring the delivery of a best-in-class recruitment service to all stakeholders
• Ensure that the recruitment and onboarding of new starters is seamless and expeditious
• Manage applicants through the onboarding process, ensuring that their candidate journey is positive
• Recognise process improvements and implement change with the support of your wider team
• Ensure that recruitment data is tracked correctly, providing reporting and metrics to the wider team and SLT
• Take ownership of recruitment campaigns end to end to enable AISI to effectively build our workforce
• Ensure recruitment activities adhere to the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles of open & fair competition - including accurate result compilation and ordering of a merit list
• Delivering a great hiring manager experience, from initial campaign meeting, to sifting and interviewing and finally to welcoming the successful candidate to AISI
• Giving the successful candidate a great experience in AISI, from initial application to day 1 in the role. Assisting with everything they need to hit the ground running
• Responsible for ensuring rapid Pre-Employment Checks are completed and that Conditional/Unconditional Offer Letters are issued to candidates without any delays to the expected timeline

Person specification

Essential Criteria:-

• Previous experience of working in a customer focused resourcing (or similar) team in a fast-paced environment
• A team player, who is able to work effectively as part of a busy team, with attention to detail, sharing information, communication and liaising with colleagues
• Demonstrable experience of delivering in a fast-paced environment with ever changing priorities

Desirable Criteria:-

• Working knowledge of Oleeo (vX) the Applicant Tracking System
• CIPD

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,745, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £8,571 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application

Applicants must apply online via CS Jobs. Interested candidates are asked to submit:

You will also be asked to provide a personal statement (500 word max) explaining why you want this role, setting out why you consider yourself suitable, with particular reference to meeting the essential criteria and behaviours listed below with relevant examples.

• Behaviour: Working Together (Lead behaviour)
• Behaviour: Delivering at Pace
• Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing

Applicants must also complete an online CV outlining your qualifications, history, and skills which will be assessed and scored.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the essential criteria.

Should we receive a high number of applications then we may decide to only sift on the lead behaviour only.

Interview

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application.

Should you be successful in being invited to interview, you will be asked to deliver a 5 minute presentation on a topic relevant to the role, and answer a set of behaviour based questions.

Candidates invited to interview will be given further information on the day and time to prepare.

• Behaviour: Managing a quality service (Lead Behaviour)
• Behaviour: Making effective decisions 
• Behaviour: Working Together

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 12/02/2024

Interview dates: w/c 19/02/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

If you have any questions about the role or your application, then please send an email to active.campaigns@dsit.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustment

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

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview.

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.

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. Determine your eligibility https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

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 or Disclosure Scotland 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 the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.