Senior Research Associate, AI Intelligence Analysis

The Role

The Alan Turing Institute has recently been awarded a £1m EPSRC research grant to develop AI methods that can support and enhance intelligence analysis for national security and defence. For this project, the Institute will lead an interdisciplinary consortium that also includes Warwick, Southampton, Heriot-Watt and Cardiff Universities, working closely with UK government defence and national security partners. The project, entitled AI Intelligence Triage & Acquisition Support for Human-centred Analysis (AiTASHA), aims to improve the speed and confidence of intelligence analysts’ assessments by building new AI tools that can work alongside human analysts.

This role will be part of the Defence and National Security (D&NS) Programme and will report directly to the Principal Investigator for the AiTASHA project. Within the Institute, this role will sit primarily within the Defence Artificial Intelligence Research (DARe) centre, which encompasses diverse AI research spanning future sensing, space systems, human-machine teaming, synthetic environments, and edge AI.

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Research Associate to conduct internationally leading research in machine learning, with applications to intelligence analysis. You will have expertise in machine learning research, including areas such as LLMs, computer vision, explainability or uncertainty quantification, alongside a track record of developing innovative solutions to complex real-world problems. You will be a collaborative researcher and communicator, comfortable working across disciplines and translating research into practical impact.

Eligibility for Security Check (SC) clearance is a requirement for this role. Eligibility criteria and further information on the process can be found on the UK Government security vetting website.

• Play a leading role in undertaking high-quality research, actively contributing to, and steering the broader research aims of the Defence & National Security Grand Challenge.
• Provide technical leadership for research projects, ensuring successful outcomes, including that research outcomes meet our government partners’ requirements and can be deployed in the real world.
• Contribute to, and lead where required, interdisciplinary research teams spanning multiple partner organisations.
• Contribute to software development including planning, execution and package release and management.

Please see our portal for a full breakdown of the Job Description.

This post is offered on a fixed‑term basis for 2 years from start date. The annual salary is £56,840 – £58,482 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies.

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.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the apply button below. It will redirect you to The Alan Turing Institute jobs portal, where you can find more information and a full job description for this role. You will need to register on the applicant portal and complete the application form including your CV and covering letter.

We value diversity of background, experience, and perspective, and are proud to be an inclusive employer. We warmly encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from groups currently under-represented in our sector. If you feel passionate about this role but don’t meet every single requirement, please apply – we recognise that great candidates may bring strengths beyond the criteria listed.