Research Associate, AI for Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security

The Alan Turing Institute

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

BACKGROUND

Turing is undergoing a restructuring, moving towards a challenge-led model with three Grand Challenges (Environment & Sustainability, Health, Defence & National Security).

The Defence & National Security Grand Challenge at the Turing is developing an ambitious programme of research to deliver a fundamental shift in Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) cyber-defence capability using AI methods and tools. Working with our government and industrial partners you will build environments that are representative of real-world CNI use cases, enabling the training and evaluation of AI-based autonomous defences.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Undertake high-quality collaborative research to enhance CNI cyber security using machine learning.
• Develop and support simulation and benchmark environments for CNI.
• Design and refine realistic simulations reflecting genuine CNI use cases.
• Create offensive and defensive strategies for red-blue teaming efforts.
• Plan and run AI-based CNI red-blue teaming competitions.
• Write reports, publications, and present findings at meetings/events.
• Supervise research assistants and Ph.D. interns.

Person Specification

• PhD (or equivalent experience and/or qualifications) in cyber/information/systems/network security, computer science, AI, machine learning, statistics, engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong understanding of network security principles, defensive/offensive security techniques, or cyber-physical systems security.
• Experience developing software in a scientific computing context, ideally in Python and frameworks such as NumPy, Tensorflow, PyTorch, Ray/RLLib, Stable Baselines. Experience in development suites, systems and versioning products (e.g., Git, IDEs, Linux).
• Track record of impactful research and high-quality publications in relevant area.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate successfully with colleagues in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Eligible for “UK/NATO security clearance”, e.g., by nationality or 5+ years NATO residency.

Please see our portal for a full breakdown of the Job Description.

Terms and Conditions

This post is offered on a full time, fixed-term basis until 31 March 2027. The annual salary is £45,505 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, Employee-only benefits guide | The Alan Turing Institute

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant at a salary of £42,593 per annum.

All applicants must be willing to undergo, and capable of achieving, SC clearance.

Eligibility criteria and further information on the process can be found on the UK Government security vetting website.

The Alan Turing Institute is based at the British Library, in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter. We expect staff to come to our office at least 4 days per month. Some roles may require more days in the office; the hiring manager will be able to confirm this during the interview.

Application procedure

Please see our jobs portal for full details on how to apply and the interview process via the ‘Apply’ button.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to making sure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive.

This includes making reasonable adjustments for candidates who have a disability or long-term condition. Please contact us at adjustments@turing.ac.uk to find out how we can assist you.