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.

The 'Finance and Economics' programme brings together leading experts in data science, machine learning, finance, and the social sciences, from both academia and industry to tackle the most challenging questions by producing world-leading research with significant impact. The programme works closely with government and industry to exploit the potential of new technologies in the financial sector and economic research, and to position the UK as the leader in these areas. The programme is led by the Programme Director, Lukasz Szpruch.

The programme has recently received a significant investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to deliver one of eight business-led “Prosperity Partnerships”. This will see the Turing, HSBC, and other organisations in the financial sector developing a Framework for responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the financial services industry (FAIR). FAIR brings together academia and industry to advance research and develop practical and scalable solutions needed to fully realise the transformational benefits of responsible adoption of AI across the financial services industry.

FAIR has five main research themes:

1. Robustness and Resilience
2. Privacy and Security
3. Fairness and Transparency
4. Verification and Accountability
5. Integration Environment

Find out more: Project FAIR: Framework for responsible adoption of artificial intelligence in the financial services industry.

We are looking for two Research Associates to support and enable the delivery of this project under the direction of Professor Carsten Maple.

ROLE PURPOSE

The successful candidate will work in partnership with our industry partner HSBC on a project that is aligned to the Privacy and Security research theme within FAIR. The successful candidate will engage with companies and regulators globally to build a picture of activity in homomorphic encryption. The work will take the form of both desk research and qualitative information gathering including surveys and interviews. Through collecting examples and building an understanding of where homomorphic encryption has been put into production at scale, a clear business case with a tangible evidence-base can be produced to secure buy-in and investment in homomorphic encryption at a senior level within HSBC.

The initial project phase is designed to have a near-term impact, however, there is potential for the Turing to support HSBC’s roadmap in this space in the long term, and HSBC anticipates the longer-term impact and roll-out of this work to be global. There is also the opportunity for project learnings regarding the stance of regulators to inform the development of homomorphic encryption methods at an academic level.

Dedicated to our new partnership, the Research Associate will also act as a link and key interface between our two organisations and will play a key role in both delivering and bringing to life our research across the partner and amongst the Turing community.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Successful candidates will:

• Contribute to an understanding of the current application of homomorphic encryption (HE) in practice through secondary research including:
• Identifying commercial solutions for HE in the finance sector and adjacent sectors
• Identifying the engagement of regulatory bodies in the deployment of HE, in finance and adjacent sectors
• Contribute to an understanding of the current application of homomorphic encryption (HE) in practice through primary, qualitative research including:
• Understanding the technical challenges faced in, and benefits derived from, the deployment of HE in finance and adjacent sectors
• Understanding the regulatory challenges faced in the deployment of HE in finance and
• Document processes for effective and efficient reuse across multiple domains.
• Support collaboration with academic experts and broader research partners from across the Turing and the wider Turing community

Essential:

• PhD in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science or closely related discipline.
• A background in one or more of the following: Probability Theory, Stochastic Analysis and Control, Bayesian Inference and Probabilistic Machine Learning, mathematical Modelling of collective behaviour of interacting systems and rigorous agent-based modelling.
• Experience in design, development and implementation of research software libraries, ideally using one of the following: Python, R, Julia and their associated frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with Machine Learning methods
• Experience in publishing research papers, code libraries or technical reports and giving presentations or classes on technical subjects.
• Ability to organise working time, take the initiative, and carry out research independently, under the guidance of the PI

Please see the job description for a full breakdown of the Duties and Responsibilities and the 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 and covering letter. 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: 3 January 2022 at 23:59

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full-time post is offered on a 2-year fixed-term basis. The annual salary is £37,000-£42,000 (depending on experience) plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family-friendly policies, https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant at a salary of £34,500 per annum

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 continuous eligibility 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].

If you are applying for more than one role at 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.