Research Assistant in AI Skills

University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university in Sheffield is seeking a Research Assistant to work on a project aimed at shaping AI education and employment in the UK. The successful candidate will support research related to AI skills, training professionals in various sectors. This role offers collaboration with experts, a chance to contribute to impactful academic publications, and be part of an investment aimed at redefining AI education. The university promotes diversity and flexible working opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods.
• Interest in AI skills and education policy.

Responsibilities

• Support key policy priorities for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
• Investigate the skills associated with AI professionals.
• Contribute to academic research publications and policy reports.

Skills

Quantitative research methods

Qualitative research methods

Interest in skills and education policy

Job description

University of Sheffield

Job Reference Number: 2032

Faculty: Faculty of Engineering

School: School of Computer Science

Closing Date: 18th January 2026

Are you interested in shaping the future of AI education and employment in the UK? Do you want to grow your research skills in an interdisciplinary environment and contribute to addressing pressing problems in public policy? We are seeking a Research Assistant to join the Centre for Machine Intelligence to work on a project exploring the changing needs and training for AI skills in the UK economy.

Your work will play a central role in supporting key policy priorities for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the government department responsible for the AI Opportunities Action Plan. You will work with interested parties in key UK industries, government, and the higher education sector to investigate the skills associated with AI professionals, and how we can better train professionals in every sector with the technical and business skills needed to work with AI. This project will help create cross-sector knowledge of the evolving needs for AI education to guide the working professionals of tomorrow.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of training professionals with the knowledge and skills for the “AI everywhere” economy. You will have the opportunity to contribute to academic research publications and policy reports to inform the future of AI skills and training.

In the Centre for Machine Intelligence, you will have the chance to collaborate with and learn from experts across specialty areas around the university and our regional partners, and to strengthen your skills addressing real‑world problems related to AI.

We are looking for a social researcher with experience in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods and an interest in skills and education policy. You will be part of the Centre for Machine Intelligence, an exciting £3.6M investment by the University of Sheffield to lead our work on AI in research, impact, and education. This is a chance to collaborate with and learn from experts across specialty areas around the university and our regional partners, and to strengthen your skills addressing real‑world problems related to AI.

We are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit the individual and University.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.