AI Security Research Engineer

AI Security Research Engineer

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.

As a [LASR](https://www.lasr.ac.uk/) partner and as part of our [Defence & National Security team](https://www.turing.ac.uk/science-innovation/defence-and-national-security), our AI Security work depends not just on new ideas, but on strong experimental practice, rigorous implementation, and high-quality prototyping.

As an AI Security Research Engineer, you will be the bridge between research and experimentation. You will ensure our prototypes are well designed, our experiments are sound and reproducible, and our research outputs are built on a solid technical foundation. Working closely with researchers and external Turing partners, you will help us move fast without sacrificing robustness or scientific integrity.

We’re looking for a research engineer with strong technical fundamentals, a deep interest in how modern AI systems behave, and a passion for solving real-world security challenges. Experience with deep learning training, evaluation, or interpretability - as well as exposure to AI red teaming or cybersecurity - is valuable but not essential. What matters most is a rigorous mindset, curiosity, and the ability to turn ideas into reliable, extensible technical artefacts.

Eligibility for DV clearance is an essential requirement for this role. Eligibility criteria and further information on the process can be found on the UK Government security vetting [website](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#developed-vetting-dv).

Please note that we require you to provide essential information in your cover letter in order to progress your application. Details of this are in the Application Procedure section.

Please note, if these details are not provided, we will be unable to progress with your application for this role.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE AN IMPACT

• Co-design experiments with researchers,ensuring methodological rigour, appropriate controls, robust evaluation design, and reproducibility.
• Prototype new ideas quickly and robustly, developing research code that is clean, traceable, and ready for iteration and extension.
• Adapt, assess, and extend existing research (from within the Institute and beyond) to understand how it behaves in realistic settings.
• Evaluate modelsfor robustness, security and reliability - including adversarial behaviour, red teaming performance, interpretability signals, and other security relevant properties.
• Design and develop experimental infrastructure,including pipelines for training, evaluation, adversarial testing, and automated results tracking.
• Ensure reproducibility and scientific rigour,using strong software engineering practices: testing, version control, CI, environment management, and documentation.
• Work across disciplinesto turn research findings into shareable artefacts and early-stage capabilities for partners.
• Communicate clearlywith researchers, engineers, and operational stakeholders through demonstrations, documentation, and technical discussions. Able to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders and across disciplines with colleagues

YOU’LL THRIVE IN THIS ROLE IF YOU

• Are naturally curious about how models behave and how things can go wrong under adversarial or high stress conditions.
• Enjoy collaborating with researchers to refine ideas and turn them into high-quality prototypes.
• Take pride in well-structured, well-tested code.
• Want your research and engineering expertise to have direct scientific impact.

Requirements

• Strong software engineering fundamentals: testing, version control, reproducibility, experiment tracking, clean design and collaborative practices
• Fluency in one or more modern programming languages used in data science. We predominantly work in Python, but demonstrable use of other scientific computing languages (e.g. modern C++/C#, Julia, R, Rust) together with a facility for learning new languages is valued
• Demonstrated experience structuring and analysing research data, managing computational experiments, or communicating research results effectively
• Ability to lead your work independently and collaborate productively as part of a team
• Eligibility for Developed Vetting (DV) clearance is a requirement for this role
• Professional experience and/or qualifications in a field with significant use of both advanced algorithmic, statistical, or numerical techniques and computer programming. A PhD is desirable but not essential.

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

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 (maximum 3 pages, no photo) and covering letter (maximum 2 pages).

As this role requires eligibility for Developed Vetting (DV) clearance, it is an essential part of the application process that you include the following information as part of your cover letter:

• Your current nationality
• Your nationality at birth
• Other nationality (include dual nationality if applicable)
• Confirmation that you have been residing in the UK for the past 5 years (if you haven’t, please provide details of when and where you resided and the reason)
• Country where you were born.
• County in which you were born.
• Town where you were born.

Please note, if these details are not provided, we will be unable to progress with your application for this role.

If you wish to share links to blog posts, public code repositories or research papers containing work that you have made significant contribution to, please add a link to those in your cover letter.

For questions about the role and the recruiting process please get in touch with us at [contact hidden]. If you would like to apply using a different format, please contact the Recruitment team.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: SUNDAY 26 APRIL 2026 AT 23:59 (LONDON, UK BST)

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early or to interview suitable candidates before the closing date if enough applications are received.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full-time post is offered on a permanent basis. The annual salary is £45,505 - £51,241 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, [Employee-only benefits guide | The [Employer hidden — view at passion-project.co.uk]](https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-only-benefits-guide)

*The [Employer hidden] 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.*

SECURITY CLEARANCE

Eligibility for Developed Vetting (DV) clearance is a requirement for this role. Eligibility criteria and further information on the process can be found on the UK Government security vetting [website](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#developed-vetting-dv). Applicants should check if they are eligible for DV clearance before applying to this role.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a pre-screening check. This check will be carried out by HMG Defence and Security Partners. Please be advised, by submitting your application you are consenting to this check, and your personal details (full name, date of birth and home address) to be passed onto our HMG Defence and Security Partners to carry out this check.

Many roles in the Defence and National Security Programme require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK or a NATO country depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks, amongst other factors. These roles are subject to security restrictions by Turing’s partners. The restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, your foreign connections, and your place of birth can restrict your eligibility to perform the role.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We value diversity of background, experience, and perspective, and are proud to be an inclusive employer. We warmly encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from groups currently under-represented in our sector. If you feel passionate about this role but don’t meet every single requirement, please apply - we recognise that great candidates may bring strengths beyond the criteria listed.

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 [[contact hidden]](mailto:[contact hidden]) to tell us how we can assist you.

*Please note all offers of employment are subject to obtaining and retaining the right to work in the UK and satisfactory pre-employment security screening which includes a DBS Check.*

*Full details on the pre-employment screening process can be requested from* [[contact hidden]](mailto:[contact hidden])*.*