About the job

Job summary

Our priorities

Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world.

Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent.

Put public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people.

Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world.

Deliver legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI.

Our Inclusive Environment

We have an inclusive culture which makes the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it helps us be more innovative.

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion and fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforsciencetechnologyandinnovation?

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/

Job description

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) over the last decade have been impactful, rapid, and unpredictable. Today, harnessing AI is an opportunity that could be transformational for the UK and the rest of the world. Advanced AI systems have the potential to drive economic growth and productivity, boost health and well-being, improve public services, and increase security. 

But the risks arising from advanced AI are uncertain and evolving, 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.

The UK is taking a leading role in driving this conversation forward internationally. We launched the Frontier AI Taskforce – the first state body dedicated to the safety of advanced AI, investing more than any other nation - and hosted the world’s first major AI Safety Summit. 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 Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (AISI) is the next step in this process. It will advance 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. It will conduct 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.

The Institute’s high performing and friendly Strategy and Delivery Team is recruiting for three HEO roles. The team in general leads on AISI's strategy, coordination across the organisation, how we shape our and plan our functions, and how we interact with the AI sector.

In this fast-paced context, you will identify gaps, provide strategic coordination across wide-ranging activities and identify the best routes for decision-making on some of the most challenging questions facing the tech sector. You will be excellent at building strong, trusting relationships and will use first-rate problem-solving skills to support the organisation to deliver tangible benefits for AI safety research and evaluation.

Across the three roles, the successful candidates will work as part of the AISI Strategy and Delivery Team to support the delivery of our mission. This will include, but not be limited to:

Strategy: Seeing the big picture and anticipating and responding to emerging challenges with a genuine interest in AI policy and its potential ramifications for government and society. Ensuring the organisation’s activities are aligned with the Institute’s central mission, including anticipating risks to delivery and identifying opportunities to further our ambition and mobilising teams to act on these.

Collaboration and coordination: Building effective partnerships and relationships with a variety of stakeholders, across the Institute, other teams and professions (legal, analysts, communications, and technical experts) and external stakeholders, to achieve tangible outcomes and keep the organisation informed on emerging priorities and acting as a convenor of cross-cutting issues to identify next steps and create join-up across the organisation (and beyond). 

Project management: Ability to deliver products and projects on time and with initiative, whilst managing risks and balancing competing priorities, including supporting across strategy, policy and project management for our programme of safety testing. 

Navigating and communicating complex issues: Grappling with ambiguity and pursuing multiple avenues concurrently in the context of shifting dependencies; and ability to explain this to internal and external stakeholders (e.g. Ministers, partners across Government, companies and senior civil servants) clearly. 

What we Value:

Diverse Perspectives: We believe that a range of experiences and backgrounds is essential to our success. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us in this crucial mission.

Collaborative Spirit: We thrive on teamwork and open collaboration, valuing every contribution, big or small.

Innovation and Impact: We are dedicated to making a real-world difference in the field of frontier AI safety and capability, and we encourage innovative thinking and bold ideas.

Person specification

Skills and Experience

Essential skills/experience for each of the roles:

Strategic: You are able to navigate and break down large, intractable issues into tangible, and effective next steps. You have a strong policy brain and can anticipate and respond to emerging issues.

Resilience: You are able to work effectively at pace, make good/well-evidenced decisions in the face of competing priorities, and remain calm and resilient under pressure.

Problem solver: You have a track record of setting direction on complex policy/delivery issues and finding innovative solutions to problems.

Collaborative: You bring colleagues and stakeholders (often senior experts) along with you to deliver an ambitious – often novel and occasionally unclear – programme of work.

Attention to detail: You have excellent written and oral communication skills. You are comfortable communicating with a range of very senior officials, ministers and both expert and non-expert stakeholders, and have nuanced and sensitive influencing and handling skills. 

Proactive: You have a demonstrated ability to get up to speed quickly with new areas/processes and bring together and shape wide-ranging priorities and a track record of finding new ways of getting things done and doing so with an open and impartial mindset.

Tech: You are interested in AI and the tech industry, and/or the potential ramifications of AI for policy and society.

Desirable skills/experience:

You have experience working in strategy and/or cross cutting roles in a novel and/or un-defined area and proactively identifying priorities.

You have worked on regulation and/or legislation. 

You have worked in a technical organisation and/or with technical leads.

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, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements and CV. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour statement (Making Effective Decisions). 

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

The interview will consist of behaviours and strength based questions, as well as a written exercise.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 18/04/2024

Interview dates: w/c 29/04/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

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.

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

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/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

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 security 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

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. 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.