Cyber Security Strategy and Delivery Manager – Research Unit
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 31st October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
AI is bringing about huge changes in society, and it is our job as a team to work out how Governments should respond. It is a once-in-a-generation moment, 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.
Job description
The Cyber Misuse Team focuses on evaluating the potential risks and misuse of advanced AI systems in cyber domains – including how these systems could be exploited for malicious purposes, such as cyber-attacks, surveillance, or other security breaches. We are particularly concerned with assessing how well AI models can carry out harmful tasks, intentionally or unintentionally, when applied to cybersecurity scenarios. Our mission is to understand the evolving threats AI may pose to organizations, critical infrastructure, and the broader cyber ecosystem.
As AI models continue to advance and their deployment grows, the potential for their misuse in cyber contexts also increases. Our work evaluates current and future AI systems for security vulnerabilities that could result in malicious activity, data breaches, or other unintended cyber harms. We focus on understanding both direct misuse and the broader security implications of AI systems that could lead to significant risks for organizations, governments, and society. Additionally, we are developing cutting-edge tools and frameworks to measure the performance of AI systems against high-risk cyber scenarios.
We are seeking a Strategy and Delivery Manager to play a key delivery role within the take and help drive forward our ambitious research agenda.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work across the breadth of the projects in the Societal Impacts team. The nature of AISI’s mission and its role in a fast-paced environment means that the post-holder must be a motivated self-starter who can adapt quickly to changing needs and context.
Amongst other things, your responsibilities will include:
- Playing a cross-cutting strategy and delivery role within the Cyber team. You will work with the Workstream lead and other researchers in the team to deliver multiple research project and help shape the long-term strategy of the team. You will have a key role in helping set the overall strategy (including vision and milestones) help design a plan to deliver that strategy (including goals and milestones), and then lead on execution.
- Generating and maintaining delivery momentum within AISI’s Research Unit by creating a culture of velocity, coordination, and tight execution cycles. You will oversee delivery of high-quality research projects conceptualised by our technical team and external partners. You will identify and clear roadblocks, set a collaborative and productive team culture, and continually strive for increased efficacy – with high-quality delivery as your number one priority.
- Acting as a key point-person on AISI’s Cyber research agenda. As the Grade 7 Delivery Manager in this team, you will be across the full breadth of the portfolio and able to speak confidently to its aspects.
- Play an active role in creating a culture of innovation and exploration, encouraging colleagues to take managed risks, fail fast, and learn. You will have a key role in making sure AISI is managing risk appropriately whilst minimising any unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Delivering through others: much of your time will be spent on cross-team projects. You will need to collaborate across boundaries, bringing together virtual teams to deliver.
- Line management of two members of staff. With the potential to scale this over time.
- Building and leveraging a network of partners and stakeholders across Government and externally, and insight and outside of Government. The Cyber Workstream is a project with a large group of Government stakeholders, including in the National Security committee. You will be responsible for mapping and managing this stakeholder group.
- Stay up to date on advancements with AI safety, cyber security, ethics, and applications.
First and foremost, we are building a community of individuals within the RU who are committed to getting things done and can navigate uncharted territories to achieve novel outcomes within government. You will be excellent at building strong, trusting relationships, problem-solving, and co-ordinating complex projects to support the organisation to deliver tangible benefits for AI safety research and evaluations. This is a role where high agency is encouraged, where you will have the opportunity to take on high-profile projects within the Societal Impacts team.
This is a unique opportunity as part of a capable and supportive team to work at the cutting edge of issues affecting the global community.
Person specification
Essential skills criteria
This might a great role for you if you are someone who:
Gets things done. Start-up mindset/entrepreneurial approach; comfortable navigating uncertainty, adapting quickly, taking a “trial and get feedback approach”, and being comfortable with taking controlled risk. Proven track record of delivery across the full-project life cycle: set-up, execution, finish.
Is motivated by a strong desire to ensure that frontier AI systems benefit people globally.
Moves fast. Hits the ground running. Able to work effectively at pace, take decisions in the face of incomplete data, and remain calm and resilient under pressure. Has experience working in in a delivery-focussed role, with a strong track record of managing complex projects and shipping good product.
Spins multiple plates. Excels in running multiple projects in parallel and delivers them to a high standard. Able to proactively re-assess priorities and maintain focus on the most critical deliverables.
Self-motivates and is comfortable with agency. Can operate with high autonomy and maintain delivery momentum.
Strives for excellence. Has a high attention to detail, catches problems/errors early, always aiming for the best quality outputs where they matter both.
Enjoys tackling difficult challenges head-on. Proactive and solutions oriented, and able to identify solutions to complex problems. Comfortable breaking down difficult issues into tangible next steps.
Works well in a team. Collaborated effectively with colleagues, builds strong relationships, and contributes to a positive team dynamic. Keeps people motivated and on-side even where incentives don’t necessarily immediate align.
Can manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders. Comfortable building a network of allies and leveraging these to drift forward your mission.
Is an excellent communicator and can engage with experts and non-experts alike on complex, technical problems.
Wants to learn. Curious, open-minded, and eager to expand their knowledge and skills. Excited and not daunted by the prospect of identifying knowledge gaps and seeking to fill them. Actively seeks out opportunities for growth and development and helps others to do the same.
Candidates must have significant experience in a relevant role.
Desirable skills criteria
Experience in technical/R&D environment, or in a start-up
Experience in cybersecurity, and related technical domains
An understanding of the breadth of the AI ethics, safety, and alignment spaces, and a clear view on relevant society-scale risks from frontier AI.
Have hands-on experience evaluating the capabilities of cutting-edge machine learning
If you have the skills, experience and motivation to help drive forward AISI's critical mission at the cutting edge of AI safety, we want to hear from you. Join us and let's ensure that the immense potential of artificial intelligence benefits humanity while navigating the risks and challenges responsibly.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
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.
- A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.
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.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process, you will be asked to submit an anonymised CV that should be no more than 2 pages and demonstrate your work history and previous experience 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 answer the following questions:
Why are you interested in joining the AISI right now?
What are the most important technical projects UK government needs to undertake within the next few months to advance AI Safety within the domain of cyber security?
What do you want to be doing to drive those projects forward?
Is there anything else about your skills, experience or background you'd like us to be aware of?
Candidates will not be considered if they do not provide both the CV and Personal Statement.
Candidates who pass the sift will be progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Interview 1:
A strengths, behaviours and motivations interview.
Interview 2:
A research analysis discussion and management interview.
Candidates should be prepared to answer follow-up questions to the answers they provided on their personal statement. In particular:
What are the most important technical projects UK government needs to undertake within the next few months to advance AI Safety within the domain of cyber security?
What do you want to be doing to drive those projects forward?
Candidates can expect some variation in the selection process depending on outcome.
Sift and interview dates
Expected Timeline subject to change
Sift dates: W/C 4/11
Interview dates: W/C 18/11
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
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
In order to be suitable to apply for this vacancy you must be eligible for DV clearance.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Mahmoud Ghanem
- Email : mahmoud.ghanem@dsit.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
