Testing Delivery Manager

Job summary

The UK AI Security Institute is the world's largest and best-funded government team dedicated to understanding the capabilities and risk characteristics of advanced AI, and developing practical risk mitigations.

We’re situated in the heart of the UK government, in the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with direct lines to No. 10, and we work with frontier developers and governments globally.

We’re here because governments should play a fundamental role in the success of frontier AI, and to do so must be equipped with a scientific understanding of the risk. With our resources, agility and international influence, this is the best place to shape AI development and government action to ensure AI systems are deployed safely and responsibly.

Job description

Testing Team

The Testing team is at the core of AISI’s mission. Our team works with world-class researchers and engineers to evaluate the world's most advanced AI systems. Our findings shape how developers build and how governments prepare.

We work with leading AI labs (like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind) to evaluate the safety and security of their most capable AI systems. We run many of these evaluations before the public release of a system (“pre-deployment”), where we can make the greatest impact with developers before systems are made widely available. That means we regularly deliver projects to rapid and condensed timelines, pulling together a large range of senior and technical staff across government to do so.

We also take on strategic projects, for example shaping our testing strategy, creating new testing processes, or answering wider research questions. It requires working collaboratively with technical teams and civil servants across AISI (and beyond), grappling with technical detail, and seeking agreement for our decisions from across the organisation.

Overall, this is a high-performance team, with periods of pacey work and consistent exposure to seniors across the organisation. We work together as a unit - pitching in with a spare pair of hands or a brainstorming chat. We hold a high bar for quality. We care deeply about development (with dedication to giving and receiving feedback). We are highly motivated and curious about the problems presented by AI.

G7 Testing Delivery Manager

The role will report to the Head of Testing (G6). You may be expected to line manage a Senior Executive Officer (SEO) or Higher Executive Officer (HEO).

In this role, you will need to:

• Lead testing exercises of frontier models. This is fast-paced work, delivering testing exercises to tight, and changeable, timelines. You’ll lead the exercises end-to-end: scoping and preparing for the exercise in partnership with the lab; managing AISI technical teams and experts to set up and run evaluations; drafting reports and recommendations; and sharing information with Ministers, seniors across government, and the developer.

• Lead teams to deliver high-impact projects,from tackling large-scale and thorny research questions to building new testing processes. You’ll need to demonstrate thought leadership and proactively translate this into action within your team.

• Build consensus on testing issues across AISI, wider government and external partners, bringing diverse groups to agreement on strategy and process, even where their priorities differ.

• Develop strong networks across AISI and UK government, representing AISI credibly and building bridges to help teams work together effectively.

• Build and upskill a team, by providing excellent support and coaching. You’ll foster a culture of development and high performance. This role includes direct line management responsibilities.

• Model and reinforce AISI values: mission-driven, agency, camaraderie, comfort with ambiguity, and curiosity.

In return, we offer:

• Impact you couldn't have anywhere else: Influence on frontier AI safety and security, and an opportunity to shape the first and best-resourced public-interest research team focused on AI security outcomes.

• Work with world-leading research teams, and experts across national security and policy.

• Growth and autonomy: If you're talented and driven, you'll own important problems early. Your work will always tie back to impact. We will empower you to challenge on strategy and process.

• Support for self-development, including annual stipends and 5 days off for L&D.

Person specification

Essential skills and experience:

These are roles in which high agency is encouraged, and where you will have the opportunity to take on high-profile projects.

This might be a great role for you if you are someone who:

• Is motivated by a strong desire to ensure that frontier AI systems benefit people globally.

• Gets things done. Project manages teams to deliver high-quality results under rapid deadlines. Is able to react dynamically to guide teams through uncertainty and change.

• Thrives on high autonomy. Demonstrates leadership and accountability, proactively taking ownership of obstacles to drive and maintain momentum.

• Is adept with stakeholders. Develops strong relationships with a diverse set of partners to address complex challenges, pre-empting and resolving barriers.

• Sets strategy. Builds a vision of how activity can lead to impact, shaping team direction.

• Wants to learn. Is curious, and comfortable navigating unfamiliar technical topics to learn quickly. Seeks opportunities for growth and development, and helps others to do the same.
• Builds motivated, high-performing teams. Supports upskilling, empowerment and career growth.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Experience working with research scientists or engineers.

• Experience working on frontier AI.

• Experience working with Ministers, and seniors across government departments.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £63,165, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £18,298 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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