Principal Data Scientist, AI Security Research

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## Principal Data Scientist, AI Security Research

**
Alan Turing Institute

**
London, United Kingdom

**
Research Programmes

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## Company Description

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.

## Position

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 APPPLICATION.**

## ROLE PURPOSE

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.**

## DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• 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 establish these and providing ongoing contributions to enable effective oversight of the group.
• Participate in the D&NS Leadership Group by attending team meetings and contributing where appropriate with updates, ideas and/or technical knowledge to support the Institute’s wider aims.

Please see the job description for a full breakdown of the role.

## Requirements

• **DV Security Clearance is an essential requirement and candidates will need to already hold DV clearance in order to be considered for this role.**

In addition, candidates will have:

• A PhD degree or equivalent professional experience in a field with significant use of both computer programming and advanced mathematics, specifically in relation to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Direct experience developing and deploying technologies in support of UK Defence and National Security organisations.
• Professional experience in a field or sector with significant use of both computer programming and advanced algorithmic, statistical or numerical techniques.
• Fluency in one or more modern programming languages used in data science. In particular, we predominantly work in Python, but demonstrable use of other programming languages (e.g. modern C++, Java, Scala, Julia, R, Javascript, Rust, Go) together with a facility for learning new languages.
• An understanding of the importance of good practices for producing reliable software and reproducible analyses (e.g. version control, issue tracking, automated testing, package management, literate analysis tools such as Jupyter).
• Experience in making or evaluating the case for new projects (e.g. authoring or evaluating research proposals or business cases) and leading projects from ideation, scoping including developing budgets, and delivery through to impact.
• Experience in managing a team and setting strategic direction at a team level.

## Other information

**APPLICATION PROCEDURE**

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the apply button below. You will need to register on the applicant portal and complete the application form including your CV and covering letter. If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact us on 020 3862 3570, or email [email protected].

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

If you are applying for more than one role at the Turing, please note that only one Cover Letter can be visible on your profile at one time. If you wish to apply for multiple roles and do not want to overwrite your existing Cover Letter, please apply for the role using the button below and forward your additional cover letter directly to [email protected] quoting the job title.

If you are an internal applicant and wish to apply, please send your CV and Cover Letter directly to [email protected] and your application will be considered.

**CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: SUNDAY 25 JANUARY AT 23:59 (LONDON, UK GMT)**

**We will review applications and shortlist on an ongoing basis, from early January, and may invite s...

**
Back to job description

## Principal Data Scientist, AI Security Research

**
Alan Turing Institute

**
London, United Kingdom

**
Research Programmes

Apply for this job

**
Share

Share via link

https://cezanneondemand.intervieweb.it/turing/jobs/principal-data-scientist-ai-security-research-59617/en/ https://cezanneondemand.intervieweb.it/turing/jobs/principal-data-scientist-ai-security-research-59617/en/
Copy

Share on social media

**

Scan the QR code to easily share it on mobile devices. You can also download it to print or send it as an image

Download
**

## Company Description

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.

## Position

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 APPPLICATION.**

## ROLE PURPOSE

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.**

## DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• 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 establish these and providing ongoing contributions to enable effective oversight of the group.
• Participate in the D&NS Leadership Group by attending team meetings and contributing where appropriate with updates, ideas and/or technical knowledge to support the Institute’s wider aims.

Please see the job description for a full breakdown of the role.

## Requirements

• **DV Security Clearance is an essential requirement and candidates will need to already hold DV clearance in order to be considered for this role.**

In addition, candidates will have:

• A PhD degree or equivalent professional experience in a field with significant use of both computer programming and advanced mathematics, specifically in relation to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Direct experience developing and deploying technologies in support of UK Defence and National Security organisations.
• Professional experience in a field or sector with significant use of both computer programming and advanced algorithmic, statistical or numerical techniques.
• Fluency in one or more modern programming languages used in data science. In particular, we predominantly work in Python, but demonstrable use of other programming languages (e.g. modern C++, Java, Scala, Julia, R, Javascript, Rust, Go) together with a facility for learning new languages.
• An understanding of the importance of good practices for producing reliable software and reproducible analyses (e.g. version control, issue tracking, automated testing, package management, literate analysis tools such as Jupyter).
• Experience in making or evaluating the case for new projects (e.g. authoring or evaluating research proposals or business cases) and leading projects from ideation, scoping including developing budgets, and delivery through to impact.
• Experience in managing a team and setting strategic direction at a team level.

## Other information

**APPLICATION PROCEDURE**

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the apply button below. You will need to register on the applicant portal and complete the application form including your CV and covering letter. If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact us on 020 3862 3570, or email [email protected].

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

If you are applying for more than one role at the Turing, please note that only one Cover Letter can be visible on your profile at one time. If you wish to apply for multiple roles and do not want to overwrite your existing Cover Letter, please apply for the role using the button below and forward your additional cover letter directly to [email protected] quoting the job title.

If you are an internal applicant and wish to apply, please send your CV and Cover Letter directly to [email protected] and your application will be considered.

**CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: SUNDAY 25 JANUARY AT 23:59 (LONDON, UK GMT)**

**We will review applications and shortlist on an ongoing basis, from early January, and may invite s...