Research Scientist/Engineer, Biological Models

AI Security Institute; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading AI research institute in the UK seeks a talented individual for evaluating AI models related to biology. The role involves designing and delivering experiments, leading research on technical safeguards, and contributing to high-impact projects in AI and biosecurity. Candidates must have a strong machine learning background, experience with AI models, and excellent communication skills. Competitive salary ranging from £65,000 to £145,000 with additional benefits is offered.

Benefits

Flexible hybrid working

25 days annual leave + public holidays

Generous parental leave

28.97% employer pension contribution

Funding for learning and development

Qualifications

• Background in machine learning with experience in model training and evaluation.
• Experience with biological AI models such as protein design.
• Ability to write scalable and maintainable production-level Python code.
• Knowledge of biology and machine learning concepts relevant to AI and biosecurity.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and mission-driven attitude.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate state-of-the-art AI models for biological applications.
• Design experiments to assess AI model capabilities.
• Lead research projects on technical safeguards for biological models.
• Contribute to cross-Government efforts in AI and biosecurity research.

Skills

Machine learning expertise

Experience with PyTorch

Biological AI models knowledge

Production-level Python coding

Strong communication skills

Job description

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 work with frontier developers and governments globally, with direct lines to No. 10 in the UK government.

About the Chem Bio team

AISI's Chem Bio (CB) team conducts technical research to assess evolving AI capabilities related to science R&D and CB misuse, and evaluates the effectiveness of technical safeguards that might mitigate risks arising from those capabilities. The goal of our research is to inform critical decisions on security, opportunities, policy, and risk mitigation made by governments and AI developers.

Role Responsibilities

• Join a small, talent‑driven, multidisciplinary team evaluating state‑of‑the‑art AI models for engineering biology.
• Setup and deploy leading biological models and evaluate these models in line with AISI's research objectives.
• Design and deliver evaluations and experiments to assess capabilities of AI models in fields such as protein design, structure prediction and biological foundation models.
• Lead on research projects to understand the feasibility and effectiveness of potential technical safeguards for biological models.
• Investigate critical research questions at the intersection of AI and biosecurity, contributing to a technical evidence base used to advise and inform wider cross‑Government efforts in this space.

Requirements

• Background in machine learning, having worked directly on training, tuning or evaluating machine learning models using PyTorch or similar.
• Experience working on leading biological AI models, such as protein design models, structure prediction or scientific foundation models.
• Experience writing production‑level Python code that is scalable, robust and easy to maintain, ideally in a team.
• Sufficient knowledge of biology and machine learning concepts to understand and stay at the frontier of AI × Bio research literature.
• A sense of mission, urgency, and responsibility for success; demonstrated ability to solve challenging problems, implement solutions efficiently and acquire any missing knowledge necessary to get the job done. Motivated to conduct technical research with an emphasis on direct policy impact.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a dynamic, multidisciplinary team environment.

Important: this is a reserved post. We can only consider applications from UK nationals (including dual nationals who hold British citizenship).

Appointment is conditional on successfully completing UK Government SC clearance. Prior clearance is not required – we will sponsor and support you. You should normally have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years. You may also be required to undergo Developed Vetting (DV). DV typically requires a longer period of UK residency (around 10 years). Employment is conditional on obtaining and maintaining the required clearance(s).

What We Offer

Impact you couldn't have anywhere else

• Incredibly talented, mission‑driven and 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 and 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, AI research and adjacent sciences.

Growth & autonomy

• Own important problems early.
• 5 days off learning and development, annual stipends for learning and development and funding 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 (cafes, food court, gym) or option to work in similar government offices in other UK cities.
• 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‑wide breaks and 3 days off for volunteering.
• Generous paid parental leave.
• Employer contribution of 28.97% to your pension.
• Discounts and benefits for cycling to work, donations and retail/gyms.

Salary

Annual salary is benchmarked to role scope and relevant experience. Most offers land between £65,000 and £145,000 (base plus technical allowance), with 28.97% employer pension and other benefits on top.

This role sits outside of the DDaT pay framework given the scope of this role requires in‑depth technical expertise in frontier AI safety, robustness and advanced AI architectures.

The full range of salaries are as follows:

• Level 3: £65,000–£75,000 (Base £35,720 + Technical Allowance £29,280–£39,280)
• Level 4: £85,000–£95,000 (Base £42,495 + Technical Allowance £42,505–£52,505)
• Level 5: £105,000–£115,000 (Base £55,805 + Technical Allowance £49,195–£59,195)
• Level 6: £125,000–£135,000 (Base £68,770 + Technical Allowance £56,230–£66,230)
• Level 7: £145,000 (Base £68,770 + Technical Allowance £76,230)