Research Associate/Senior Research Associate, AI Standards

Alan Turing Institute London United Kingdom Research Programmes
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Company Description

The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. The Institute is named in honour of the scientist Alan Turing and its mission is to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research in order to change the world for the better.

Position

THE AI STANDARDS HUB

Standards, specifications, and related documents produced by international standards development organisations (SDOs) such as ISO, IEC, IEEE, CEN-CENELC, or ETSI are set to play an increasingly significant role as governance and innovation mechanisms for AI technologies. Recent years have seen the emergence of a dynamic and complex landscape of AI standards development initiatives, accompanied by legislative and regulatory proposals that rely on standards as a mechanism for achieving their objectives.

The AI Standards Hub is a new and high profile UK initiative dedicated to this rapidly evolving space. The Hub’s mission is to pursue strategic research and to engage stakeholders across industry, government, regulators, civil society, and academia with a view to shaping the direction of AI standardisation, increasing participation, and enabling the informed use of standards. Led by the Turing, in partnership with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and supported by the UK Government, the AI Standards Hub is based on objectives set out in the National AI Strategy.

ROLE PURPOSE

We are recruiting a Research Associate or Senior Research Associate to join the AI Standards Hub team. The successful candidate will report to the Head of AI Governance and Regulatory Innovation and will play a central role in delivering the Hub’s work. The post holder will join the team at an exciting time, helping to build this new, high profile initiative and set it up for success. We aim to become a point of reference in the global conversation around AI standards. The post holder will not only help us lay the foundations to ensure that we will reach our goals, but also have opportunities to grow alongside the initiative.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The core responsibilities of this role are as follows:

  • Contributing to the AI Standards Hub’s research agenda by conducting research and preparing publications on trends, gaps, and best practices concerning the development of standards for AI technologies.
  • Assessing AI standardisation initiatives and relevant legislative and policy developments.
  • Delivering workshops, roundtables, and conferences for the AI Standards Hub community to inform the AI Standards Hub’s research agenda and strategic direction.

Additional responsibilities of this role might include:

  • Building and managing strategic relationships across different communities, including academic collaborators, policymakers, regulators, industry, and standards development organisations.
  • Identifying and pursuing strategies for amplifying the reach and impact of work among national and international audiences in collaboration with the Turing’s communications team.
  • Designing educational materials and co-delivering training activities.
  • Feeding into the development of innovative online resources and platforms that coalesce a community around the development of AI standards

Requirements

  • A PhD or an equivalent level of professional experience in a relevant field that equips the postholder with the skills needed to engage with and conduct research on standardisation related to AI technologies
  • An excellent understanding of technical as well as governance-related aspects concerning the design, development, and use of AI technologies.
  • An interest in and a general understanding of the role of international standards as a technology governance tool.
  • The ability to communicate research outputs clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
  • The ability to carry out original research and to produce published research papers.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Senior Level Only - significant postdoctoral research experience

Please see the job description for a full breakdown of the duties, responsibilities and person specification

Other information

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 and covering letter. Please include a sample piece of writing (a journal article, conference paper, book chapter, or similar research piece) and a list of publications If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact us on 020 3970 2148 or 0203 862 3340, or email [email protected].

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Sunday 11 September 2022 at 23:59

If you are applying for more than one role at the Turing, please note that only one Cover Letter can be visible on your profile at one time. If you wish to apply for multiple roles and do not want to overwrite your existing Cover Letter, please apply for the role using the button below and forward your additional cover letter directly to [email protected] quoting the job title.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full time post is offered on a fixed term basis for 2 years. Depending on their level of experience, candidates may be appointed as Research Associates or Senior Research Associates. The annual salary is £38,850 - £46,200 for a Research Associate and £49,025 - £52,500 for a Senior Research Associate, plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The Alan Turing Institute is committed to creating an environment where diversity is valued and everyone is treated fairly. In accordance with the Equality Act, we welcome applications from anyone who meets the specific criteria of the post regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are committed to building a diverse community and would like our leadership team to reflect this. We therefore welcome applications from the broadest spectrum of backgrounds.

Reasonable adjustments to the interview process will be made for any candidates with a disability.

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 [email protected].

The Alan Turing Institute is based at the British Library, in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter.

From 01 March 2022 we will trial a Hybrid Working Model for an initial six-month trial period. During this period, staff will be expected to work at our British Library office for a number of days per month, dependent on the requirements of the role. As a guide, we anticipate this will be between 2-4 days per month, but the hiring manager will be able to confirm this during the interview.