Research Associate, AI for Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security

The Alan Turing Institute; London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job description

HOURS: 36

The Alan Turing Institute

Named in honour of Alan Turing, the Institute is a place for inspiring, exciting work and we need passionate, sharp, and innovative people who want to use their skills to contribute to our mission to make great leaps in data science and AI research to change the world for the better.

Please find more information about us here.

BACKGROUND

Turing is undergoing a restructuring, moving towards a challenge-led model with three Grand Challenges (Environment & Sustainability, Health, Defence & National Security).

Building on the successes of our Defence and Security Programme and AI for Cyber Defence (AICD) Centre, the Defence & National Security Grand is developing an ambitious programme of research to deliver a fundamental shift in Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) cyber-defence capability using AI methods and tools.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Undertake high-quality collaborative research to enhance CNI cyber security using machine learning.
• Develop and support simulation and benchmark environments for CNI.
• Design and refine realistic simulations reflecting genuine CNI use cases.
• Create offensive and defensive strategies for red-blue teaming efforts.
• Plan and run AI-based CNI red-blue teaming competitions.
• Write reports, publications, and present findings at meetings/events.
• Supervise research assistants and Ph.D. interns.

Person Specification

• PhD (or equivalent experience and/or qualifications) in cyber/information/systems/network security, computer science, AI, machine learning, statistics, engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong understanding of network security principles, defensive/offensive security techniques, or cyber-physical systems security.
• Experience developing software in a scientific computing context, ideally in Python and frameworks such as NumPy, Tensorflow, PyTorch, Ray/RLLib, Stable Baselines. Experience in development suites, systems and versioning products (e.g., Git, IDEs, Linux).
• Track record of impactful research and high-quality publications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to present complex or technical information, and to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
• Ability to collaborate successfully with colleagues in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Eligible for “UK/NATO security clearance”, e.g., by nationality or 5+ years NATO residency.

Terms and Conditions

This post is offered on a full-time, fixed-term basis until 31 March 2027. The annual salary is £45,505 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family-friendly policies, Employee-only benefits guide | The Alan Turing Institute.

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant at a salary of £42,593 per annum.

All applicants must be willing to undergo, and capable of achieving, SC clearance.

Eligibility criteria and further information on the process can be found on the UK Government security vetting website.

The Alan Turing Institute is based at the British Library, in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter. We expect staff to come to our office at least 4 days per month. Some roles may require more days in the office; the hiring manager will be able to confirm this during the interview.

Application procedure

Please see our jobs portal for full details on how to apply and the interview process.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to making sure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive.

This includes making reasonable adjustments for candidates who have a disability or long-term condition. Please contact us at [e-mail] to find out how we can assist you.

CLOSES: 6 May 2025 at 23:59