Technical Engagement Lead- Strategic Awareness

Strategic Awareness

We're focused on keeping AISI and broader government abreast of the developments at the frontier of AI, with a focus on enabling appropriate preparedness for AGI and other advanced AI systems. To achieve this, we’re performing scenario-based foresight work and tracking of key developments. We couple technical research with communications activities to engage government decision makers on key developments.

Role Summary

As Technical Engagement Lead, you will be responsible for successfully engaging key government decision makers to enable appropriate preparedness for AGI and other advanced AI systems. You will be responsible for planning and delivering the communication of key technological developments and risks in a way that is salient to senior decision makers. You will be responsible for creating engagement content, like presentations or demonstrations. Depending on your skills and interests, you may build a team for technical engagement work. You will be collaborating with team members that specialize in technical research that foresees and tracks possible trajectories towards AGI and their impacts. You will also be working alongside experienced civil servants who can help you navigate key government stakeholders.

This role involves leading on engagements with key decision makers related to advanced AI systems and associated risks. This may involve strategic planning of what to communicate to whom to enable appropriate preparedness efforts. This may also involve preparing and presenting technical materials in a way that is salient to non-experts, such as through engaging presentations, interactive demonstrations, or technical reports. You will be able to draw on AISI’s world-leading technical staff and research findings for contributing to engagement products.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will demonstrate technical insight into AI and its impacts, alongside exceptional communications abilities. They will have a track record of creating technical content on AI for non-specialist audiences. They will have a strong foundation of knowledge of AI and its impacts. They will have strong strategic sense of communicating about key AI developments and risks, tailoring engagements to an audience, and iterating on messaging based on feedback loops.

Particular areas of expertise may include AI governance, AI demonstrations, or AI evaluations. Particularly relevant types of communications experience include policy briefings, demonstrations of AI capabilities for non-technical audiences, or writing engagingly for a non-expert audience.

Required Experience

We select candidates based on skills and experience in the following areas:

• Track record in relevant research
• Strong knowledge on frontier AI, capability trajectories, the supply chain, and impacts.
• Experience in communicating about AI and its impact to non-specialist audiences
• Interpersonal skills

Desired Experience

You may be a good fit if you have some of the following skills, experience, and attitudes:

• Experience in the creation and delivery of demonstrations of AI capabilities
• Research experience in AI Safety
• Experience conducting model evaluations
• Masters/Bachelor’s degree in an AI/ML discipline (Ph.D. not necessary) or equivalent professional experience.

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.

Whilst AISI often encourages applications from individuals of any nationality, due to the unique nature of this role and the elevated security clearances that would be required once in post, we can only accept individuals capable of meeting DV criteria which is largely restricted to UK nationals. Therefore, this statement supersedes our general nationality rules policy as described in the footnote of this post. For further vetting clarification please visit the GOV.UK site listed below:

National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK