Research Scientist/Engineer, Biological and Chemical Models
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About The AI Security Institute
The AI Security Institute is the largest team in a government dedicated to understanding AI capabilities and risks in the world.
Our mission is to equip governments with an empirical understanding of the safety of advanced AI systems. We conduct research to understand the capabilities and impacts of advanced AI and develop risk mitigations, focusing on security implications such as AI-assisted chemical and biological weapons development, cyber-attacks, crimes, and control loss.
The risks from AI are urgent. We combine startup agility with government expertise to prevent AI harms and realize its potential.
Role Overview
We seek an experienced Research Scientist/Engineer specializing in AI/ML applied to biology/chemistry. You will be part of the Chem-Bio work stream, advancing security science of AI models in biology and chemistry, informing policy, and evaluating frontier biological models through evaluation, benchmarks, and safeguards.
This technical role requires a strong machine learning background and experience in scientific research. The position reports to the Chem-Bio workstream lead. This role requires Developed Vetting (DV) clearance, and employment is conditional on maintaining this clearance. It is a UK nationals-only post.
Responsibilities
1. Evaluate state-of-the-art machine learning models for biological applications.
2. Deploy and assess frontier models aligned with research objectives.
3. Develop code to evaluate capabilities in protein design, structure prediction, and biological models.
4. Address AI and biosecurity research questions and communicate findings to support government efforts.
Person Specification
We encourage applications even if you meet only some criteria.
Essential Criteria
* Background in machine learning with experience training, tuning, or evaluating models using PyTorch or similar.
* Experience with biological AI models such as protein or genomic models, structure prediction (AlphaFold), or protein design models (RFDiffusion).
* Proficiency in Python coding.
Desirable Criteria
* Background in computational biology, understanding omics data, and building predictive models.
* Strong biology or chemistry knowledge, especially protein biochemistry and validation assays.
* Research experience and motivation to follow best practices at AI and biosecurity intersection.
* Experience writing scalable, robust production-level Python code.
* Experience working in small, multidisciplinary teams and communicating technical work to diverse audiences.
Security and Clearance
This role requires DV clearance, primarily available to UK nationals. Further details on security vetting are available on the UK Government website.
Salary & Benefits
We offer a range of seniority levels, with salaries from £65,000 to £145,000, including base salary, allowances, and benefits. Specific salary details are provided in the original description.
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