Strategy and Delivery Adviser - Chem Bio - AI Safety Institute

AI is bringing about huge changes to society, and it is our job as a team to work out how Government should respond. It is a once-in-a-generation moment, and an incredibly fast-paced and exciting environment.
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., 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.
As a Strategy and Delivery Adviser, you will be working with a team of research scientists and engineers to drive forward cutting-edge research at the intersection of advanced AI and biological/chemical science.
This is a multi-faceted role which involves a mixture of strategy, policy and project management. They will be suitable for people who love getting things done, but who also enjoy big picture thinking and engaging with technical detail.
Key responsibilities are likely to include:
+ Overseeing the delivery of a suite of research projects by our in-house technical team and select external research partners
+ Working with our technical researchers to devise and deliver new research projects, in line with AISI’s strategic objectives, and turning their outputs into useful outputs for policy makers
+ Shaping and defining the longer-term strategy of the chem/bio team and contributing to the wider research vision of the AISI
+ Acting as a point person on the AISI’s research agenda, communicating the work of the team to senior officials and ministers within AISI and across Whitehall
+ Working with National Security partners in organisations across the UK Government
+ Building and leveraging a network of research partners and policy stakeholders within and outside of government
+ Coordinating the delivery of pre- and post-deployment model tests, As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV of no more than 2 pages showing your previous work history and a personal statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to explain why you would like to work for AISI and why you think you would be a good fit for this role, explaining how your skills and experience match the Essential criteria of the advertisement.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the CV.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
If you are selected for interview, we will ask you to prepare a short presentation. You will be assessed against the Behaviours using behaviour-based questions.
Following your interview, if you are successful you will be progressed to a second interview with team members from the workstream. The second interview will involve a discussion about your experience and skills related to the role.
For this role, we will only accept applications from UK Nationals.
AISI will sponsor SC applications as part of the onboarding process. Candidates are not required to possess this prior to being offered the role.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
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.
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
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.
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
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
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 counter-terrorist 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.

These are fast-paced and challenging roles, with the potential to have a massive impact on the work of the AI Safety Institute. We are looking for exceptional operators who can drive things forward and take responsibility for achieving the objectives of the team. You will be excellent at building strong, trusting relationships, problem-solving, and co-ordinating complex projects., + 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
+ Experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders – delivering relevant projects under rapid timelines and considering inputs from a diverse set of stakeholders
+ Passionate about the mission of the AI Safety Institute, and ideally with a good working knowledge of issues at the intersection between AI and biological/chemical science
+ 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
+ Can operate with autonomy and ‘self-drive’ work
+ Proactive and able to identify solutions to complex problems – breaking down large, intractable issues into tangible, and effective next steps.
+ Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to communicate effectively, with a range of expert and non-expert stakeholders., + Delivering at Pace
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Making Effective Decisions

Alongside your salary of £42,495, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £12,310 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
+ A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
+ Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
+ A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
+ An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
+ Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home-based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.