Technical Programme Manager, Cyber & Autonomous Systems

About the AI Security Institute

The AI Security Institute is the world's largest and best-funded team dedicated to understanding advanced AI risks and translating that knowledge into action. We’re in the heart of the UK government with direct lines to No. 10 (the Prime Minister's office), and we work with frontier developers and governments globally.

We’re here because governments are critical for advanced AI going well, and UK AISI is uniquely positioned to mobilise them. With our resources, unique agility and international influence, this is the best place to shape both AI development and government action.

The deadline for applying to this role is Sunday 30th August 2026, end of day, anywhere on Earth.

About the role

AISI aims to turnprogress on important research questions in AI security into real insight and impact for our partners and the public. This requires running research programmes thatactuallydeliver, andmaking these programmes rigorousand fast is its own discipline.The AI Security Institute is hiring a Technical Programme Manager for our Cyber and Autonomous Systems team to do exactly this.

Over the next twelve months,thisteamwill need to move faster, deliver more complex research programmes and evaluations, and engage more deeply with partners in major AI labs and across government than ever before.

Technical Programme Managers make this work possible. You willwork directlywith theteam's researchersand engineerstoturnvastresearch questions into tractable programmes. You will be heldresponsibleforensuring our research stands up torigorous empiricalstandardsto inform policy, recommending whichtechnical workneeds to happen, anduntanglingknottydependencies across workstreams.

About the team

AI capabilities in cybersecurity and autonomy are advancing fast. Frontier models can now work through multi-step cyberattacks, discover and exploit software vulnerabilities, and work independently for days with increasing reliability. These are extraordinary tools for scientific and economic progress but also have the potential for serious harm if misused or deployed without adequate oversight.

The AI Security Institute's Cyber and Autonomous Systems Team (CAST) exists to evaluate the capability of both frontier and open-weight AI models in cybersecurity, autonomy, and AI R&D, ensuring the UK government and its partners have an accurate view of risks and capabilities. We continuously buildoutmore realistic cyber rangesand a CTF suite;run pre-deployment testing of frontier models; and collaborate with our partners across the UK and US governments, frontier AI labs, and the National Cyber Security Centre.

We provide independent, empirical insight into the cyber capabilities of frontier and open-weight models,leveragingour unique position within government and our partnerships with frontier labs. Key examplesareour evaluation ofAnthropic's Mythos Previewand our researchmeasuring the gap between leading open-weight models and the frontier on cyber capabilities.

What you will own

Programme architecture. You will work directly withyourteam'stechnicalstafftoset thescopeofprojects: refining what questions we're actually trying to answer, what the milestones and success criteria are for technical work, and how to sequencedependencies, resource,and time acrossthe team.Youwillturn"we should probably look into X" into a tractable plan with clear deliverables, without imposing process that gets in the team's way.You mustbe comfortablewith ambiguity:you willbe immersedinafast-movingenvironment andwon’talways have asettled roadmap..

Delivery tracking and unblocking. You willspot and solve problemsso that theteam'sdeliverycontinuallyimproves,andowntrackingprogressto create visibility andestablishcontrolwithout overhead.You will surface technical blockers before they become crises,intervene directly to resolvethem,andknow exactly when and to whom to escalate. The goal is the team spending their time on the work, notlogistics.

Cross-government technical engagement. Youwill speakwithgovernment partnerson atechnicalleveland be a trustedrepresentative and ambassador for goodrelationships withthem.

Team operations and pace. You willdeterminetheoperationalrhythm that lets a small, high-performing teaminside governmentmoveat thespeed ofbillion-dollar AIcompanies.You will ensure the team has what it needs to deliverandbeunfussyabout doingwhatever needs to bedoneto unblockthings andpreventthem fromfallingthroughthe cracks.

Role Requirements

• **A trackrecordworkingwithtechnical colleagues.**You havedeliveredtechnical programmesin a similarly high-ambiguity environment. You know how toscopeand structureopen-endedgoals (not just deliver against a pre-defined plan). You have earned the trust of technical teams by understanding their work deeply enough to provide criticalchallenge andengage beyond process. 
• *Comfortoperating***at the frontier of AI.**You do not need to be a machine learning researcher, but you need to be fluent enough in frontier AI to operate in constant conversation withtechnical staffaboutour work,strategy,and research taste;youshould haveyourowntasteon what'shard, what's speculative, what's blocked, and what "good" looks like for a given experiment or evaluation. 
• **High agency and ownership.**You take responsibility for outcomes, not activities. When something is stuck, you pick up the phone. You do not wait for someone else to escalate. 
• **Credibility with technical teams.**Researchers trust you because you understand theirwork, respect theirconstraints, and demonstrably make their lives easier. You influence through competence and service, not authority or process. 
• **Strong prioritisation under pressure.**You canidentifywhatactually matterson adaily,weekly,monthly,and quarterlyleveland focus the team'senergy. You have the judgement to recognise work thatisn'tlanding and the confidencetorecommendthat it stop. 
• **Discretion and judgement in a sensitive domain.**You understand thatthe work we dooftencarries sensitivity.

Strong candidates may also have:

• Existing security clearances. 
• Fluencyin,oreagernesstoadopt, modern productivity tools (coding agents, Linear, Slack)and willingness to use AI tools as part of daily work.

 

Selection process

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early.

• **Application -**CV and a short cover note (max 500 words) explaining what draws you to this role and what you would bring. Please alsoindicatewhichteam you would prefer to join.

• **Screening interview -**Lightweight conversation on trajectory,motivationand fit. 

• **Work test -**A take-home exercise designed to test programme management judgement in context. You will receive this after the screening interview.

• **Technical interview -**Discussion of your work test with a current AISI TPM.

• **Behavioural interview -**Deeper dive on stakeholder management,prioritisationand team dynamics.

• **Senior leadership interview (30 min) -**Final conversation with AISI senior leadership.

 

Security Clearance

Appointment is conditional on successfully completing UK Government SC clearance. Prior clearance is notrequired—we will sponsor and support you. You should normally have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years. More detail on clearance eligibility can be found on the UK Government website: National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK.

What We Offer

Impactyoucouldn'thave anywhere else

• Incredibly talented, mission-drivenand supportive colleagues.

• Direct influence on how frontier AI is governed and deployed globally.

• Work with the Prime Minister’s AI Advisor and leading AI companies.

• Opportunity to shape the first & best-resourced public-interest research team focused on AI security.

Resources & access

• Pre-release access to multiple frontier models and ample compute.

• Extensive operational support so you can focus on research and ship quickly.

• Work with experts across national security, policy, AIresearchand adjacent sciences.

Growth & autonomy

• Ifyou’retalented and driven,you’llown important problems early.

• 5 days offand annual stipends forlearning and development, andfunding for conferences and external collaborations.

• Freedom to pursue research bets without product pressure.

• Opportunities to publish and collaborate externally.

Life & family*

• Modern central London office, or where applicable, option to work in similar government offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Salford or Bristol.

• Hybrid working, flexibility for occasional remote work abroad and stipends for work-from-home equipment.

• At least 25 days’ annual leave, 8 public holidays, extra team-widebreaksand 3 days off for volunteering.

• Generous paid parental leave (36 weeks of UK statutory leave shared between parents + 3 extra paid weeks + option foradditionalunpaid time).

• On top of your salary, we contribute 28.97% of your base salary to your pension.

• Discounts and benefits for cycling to work, donations and retail/gyms.

*These benefits apply to direct employees. Benefits may differ for individuals joining through other employment arrangements such as secondments.

Salary

Annual salary is benchmarked to role scope and relevant experience. Most offers land between £65,000 and £145,000 made up of a base salary plus a technical allowance (take-home salary = base + technical allowance). An additional 28.97% employer pension contribution is paid on the base salary.

This role sits outside of theDDaT pay frameworkgiven the scope of this role requires in depth technicalexpertisein frontier AI safety,robustnessand advanced AI architectures.

The full range of salaries are available below:

• Level 3:£65,000–£75,000 (Base £39,850 + Technical Allowance £25,150–£35,150)
• Level 4:£85,000–£95,000 (Base £47,355 + Technical Allowance £37,645–£47,645)
• Level 5:£105,000–£115,000 (Base £61,620 + Technical Allowance £43,380–£53,380)
• Level 6:£125,000–£135,000 (Base £74,605 + Technical Allowance £50,395–£60,395)
• Level 7:£145,000 (Base £74,605 + Technical Allowance £70,395)

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Additional Information

Use of AI in Applications

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see ourcandidate guidancefor more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Internal Fraud Database

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented. For more information please see -Internal Fraud Register.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and getbaseline personnel security standard (BPSS)clearancebefore they can be appointed. Additionally, there is a strong preference for eligibility forcounter-terrorist check (CTC)clearance. Some roles may require higher levels of clearance, and we will state this by exception in the job advertisement.See our vetting charter here.

Nationality requirements

We may be able to offer roles to applicant from any nationality or background. As such we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet the standard nationality requirements (opens in a new window).

Working for the Civil Service

TheCivil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)and theCivil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). As part of the application process, we monitor statistics on D&I. You can see how we process this data here: Recruitment privacy notice - GOV.UK.