Principal Data Scientist, AI Security Research

Principal Data Scientist, AI Security Research

Alan Turing Institute London, United Kingdom Research Programmes

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.

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The Defence & National Security Programme (D&NS) at the Alan Turing Institute is seeking to establish a new research and innovation team to work on AI Security. The aim is to further cutting‑edge research and engineering approaches to solve real‑world problems in AI/ML security, working in close collaboration with government partners such as select UK universities.

Please note that applicants must already have Developed Vetting (DV) clearance in order to apply for this role.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU STATE CLEARLY ON YOUR CV THAT YOU HOLD DV CLEARANCE AS OTHERWISE WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROGRESS YOUR APPLICATION.

The Principal will lead and grow the AI Security Group and develop an R&D portfolio to reflect the biggest challenges in the AI security domain. These challenges, held in a ‘problem book’, will reflect areas where government partners are most in need of new paradigms, tools and techniques, as well as where Turing as the national AI research institute is best placed to support this agenda.

The challenges could range from AI model provenance to security of compressed ML and the post‑holder will be expected to shape the research direction. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a national effort and build a world‑leading group within this field.

The role is suited to candidates who are both familiar with the national security domain and the application of research to national security challenges and are themselves a researcher in data science and artificial intelligence with an outstanding track record of research or similar experience across related disciplines and a strong foundation in mathematics, statistics, or theoretical computer science. A deep understanding of mathematical principles underpinning modern AI systems is essential for success in this role.

DV security clearance is an essential requirement for this role and applicants will need to already hold DV clearance. Further information about DV clearance can be found on the UK Government security vetting website.

• Defining and maintaining the research strategy of the team, specifically providing scientific leadership on ‘AI security’ with responsibility for developing and delivering on the problem book. This means driving the research agenda through an applied lens, whereby the outputs are of high utility to our national security partners.
• Undertake wider approaches as necessitated to establish an effective R&D effort, i.e. more ‘upstream’ research to solve thorny problems that are meaningful in the context of national security.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight of research development, taking ownership for the technical quality, rigour and integrity of all team outputs, and being responsible for delivering high quality outputs include code, technical reports, demos and papers.
• Establish and continually develop an R&D team with the appropriate skills and expertise to meet evolving research needs, and line manage staff, supporting their career development aspirations.
• Prioritise and promote an iterative, experimentation‑led and outcome‑focused R&D culture.
• Engage key stakeholders, maintaining positive and productive relationships with required partners in Government and UK universities including the need to engage in deep technical discussions to shape research priorities, communicate complex ideas clearly and ensure mutual understanding of technical challenges and solutions.
• Work collaboratively across Turing business areas to ensure the smooth running of the group and reporting to partners, including Programme Management team to ensure effective and timely reporting.
• Support appropriate governance protocols by helping to…