About the job

Job summary

AI Safety Institute  

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) over the last decade have been impactful, rapid, and unpredictable. Advanced AI systems have the potential to drive economic growth and productivity, boost health and wellbeing, improve public services, and increase security. 

But advanced AI systems also pose significant risks, as detailed in the government’s paper on Capabilities and Risks from Frontier AI published in October. AI can be misused – this could include using AI to generate disinformation, conduct sophisticated cyberattacks or help develop chemical weapons. AI can cause societal harms – there have been examples of AI chatbots encouraging harmful actions, promoting skewed or radical views, and providing biased advice. AI generated content that is highly realistic but false could reduce public trust in information. Some experts are concerned that humanity could lose control of advanced systems, with potentially catastrophic and permanent consequences.

We will only unlock the benefits of AI if we can manage these risks. At present, our ability to develop powerful systems outpaces our ability to make them safe. The first step is to better understand the capabilities and risks of these advanced AI systems. This will then inform our regulatory framework for AI, so we ensure AI is developed and deployed safely and responsibly.  

The UK is taking a leading role in driving this conversation forward internationally. We hosted the world’s first major AI Safety Summit and have launched the AI Safety Institute. Responsible government action in an area as new and fast-paced as advanced AI requires governments to develop their own sophisticated technical and sociotechnical expertise. The AI Safety Institute is advancing the world’s knowledge of AI safety by carefully examining, evaluating, and testing new types of AI, so that we understand what each new model is capable of. The Institute is conducting fundamental research on how to keep people safe in the face of fast and unpredictable progress in AI. The Institute will make its work available to the world, enabling an effective global response to the opportunities and risks of advanced AI.  

We welcome applications from individuals of all personal and professional backgrounds to play a key role in one of societies greatest changes.

Job description

ABOUT THE TEAM 

The mission of the Chem/Bio team is to equip policymakers with an empirical understanding of safety-relevant AI capabilities, specifically at the intersection of AI with biology and chemistry.    

The team studies AI capabilities including (but not limited to) providing instructions and troubleshooting for chemical or biological lab work, designing new or modified biological agents, and completing tasks like ordering ingredients or programming lab robots on behalf of the user. 

The team works closely with other teams within the AI Safety Institute and wider UK government stakeholders, and external experts, to make sure our research has real-world impacts on AI safety and chemical and biological security through policy recommendations.   

THE ROLE  

As Strategy and Delivery Manager, you will be responsible for the entire portfolio of the team’s work. Managing 2 x SEOs, you will enable the team to deliver on its highly ambitious research agenda at the intersection of advanced AI and chemistry and biology.  

This is a highly demanding role, requiring the management of technically complex projects and a diverse network of stakeholders within government and the AI safety and life sciences sectors.  

We need an exceptional operator who can drive things forward and take responsibility for the objectives of the team. You will be excellent at building strong, trusting relationships, problem-solving, and co-ordinating complex projects.  

Given the sensitivity of our work we will need someone who either holds, or is able to attain, DV-STRAP security clearance.  We are looking for someone who can help to build and effectively manage the vital relationships we hold with the national security community.  

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

This is a multi-faceted role that we will expect the successful candidate to shape and develop over time. However, likely responsibilities will include: 

• Managing a team of 2 x SEO Delivery Advisers (in the first instance) to oversee the delivery of the team’s entire research portfolio.

• Building and managing key stakeholder relationships, such as national security partners and external AI safety actors.

• Ensuring the team’s work is appropriately prioritised based on the evolving AI policy landscape, and driving the pace of work to ensure key opportunities for impact are realised. This includes working closely with x-WH partners to ensure our work is informed by, and influential on, key policymakers in this area. 

• Setting up and managing external research partnerships. This includes defining deliverables and owning the capacity management of external contractors to maximise value for the team amidst changing priorities. 

• Managing publications of the team’s work by owning and driving the process from scoping to drafting to quality assurance and clearance through appropriate stakeholder.

• Owning the teams’ communication to wider AISI and DSIT, engaging senior officials and ministers when needed to help drive forward the team’s mission.

• Critically assessing our research strategy and mission; acting as a consultant to the workstream leads on the strategic direction of the team. 

Person specification

Essential criteria: 

• Experience managing a programme of complex projects – ensuring a high standard and timely delivery.   

• Holds, or is able to attain, DV-STRAP security clearance, to enable them to operate effectively with our national security partners. 

• Interdisciplinary thinker – willingness and ability to engage with technical content in the AI and chem/bio domains. This will be much easier for candidates with some relevant background or experience but can be developed on the job by engaging thoughtfully with the content of the work.

• Start-up mindset / entrepreneurial approach - this will involve navigating in a lot of uncertainty, being quick to adapt, taking a 'trial and get feedback quickly' approach to a lot of pieces of work, and being willing to get stuck in and add value.  

• Passionate about the mission of the AI Safety Institute and ideally with a good working knowledge of issues at the intersection between AI and chemistry and biology. 

• Able to work effectively at pace, make decisions in the face of competing priorities, and remain calm and resilient under pressure. 

• Proactive and able to identify solutions to complex problems – breaking down large, intractable issues into tangible, and effective next steps. 

Desirable criteria:

• Experience in growing and managing a team including line-management and overseeing recruitment processes 

• An academic or professional background in chemistry and biology 

• Experience working with, or within, the national security community 

• Experience working with, or within, a national government 

• Experience delivering relevant research projects, such as AI safety evaluations, clinical trials, or wet lab experimental programmes 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,805, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £15,067 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.

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 250 words) to describe how your experience matches the skills and experience required for the role and what makes you well suited to the job.

Applications will be sifted on the personal statement and CV.

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

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

 Interview 1 – Civil Service Behaviours Interview 

• Presentation: "Outline 2-3 topics at the intersection between advanced AI and chemistry/ biology you think the AI Safety Institute should prioritise in its research. Briefly summarise the topics and why you think the AISI should prioritise them."
• Behaviours: Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing

Interview 2 – Technical assessment 

• Discussion of response to take home test

Interview 3 – Experience/Key Stakeholder interview 

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 12th August 2024

Interview dates: w/c 19th August 2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

This post is only open to British Citizens. Some dual nationals may be ineligible. The successful candidate must obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance if not already held, which would normally need 10 years’ UK residency in the past 10 years. As they will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process, or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

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

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.

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 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. 

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 developed vetting (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.