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 Alan Turing Institute is looking to build on existing research success at the intersection of machine learning, finance and economics.

The adoption of machine learning and artificial intelligence methods in the financial services industry is opening the door to more robust data-driven decision processes. The Finance and Economics programme brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers, practitioners and regulators to promote the responsible adoption of AI techniques in the financial services industry and wider economy.

We welcome candidates with a PhD or entering the writing up stage of their thesis with publications in the application of machine learning. The successful candidate should show considerable promise in research in the broad area of data science and machine learning. A track record of research in finance and/or economics is beneficial but not necessary; candidates should nevertheless demonstrate their interest in the application of modern computational and statistical methods in these areas.

The post offers the applicant an exciting opportunity to pursue world-class research and to develop her/his career. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated ability to work in a highly collaborative manner and be enthusiastic about engaging widely across disciplinary boundaries and with industry, government and the third sector. The successful candidate will help us deliver successful activity including:

• Advancing economic data science - an emerging field combining machine-learning techniques with innovative datasets to shed light on the economy. The programme seeks to leverage these insights to address challenges of national and international importance and inform policymaking.
• Promote the responsible adoption of AI and data science techniques in the financial services industry - trustworthy and efficient use of data to improve the resilience and stability of the financial system. The programme is actively developing tools, example use cases and best practice policies for data-driven decision-making
• Drive fundamental research in AI and data science techniques to produce trustworthy algorithms that enable responsible innovation. The programme produces scholarly, reproducible research to build the foundations for future progress in AI innovation.

Particular areas of activity in the program include:

• modelling of complex economic systems and their calibration using large scale but disparate data sources;
• building methods to enable robust decision making with uncertainty and online learning; and
• developing best practice in the deployment of AI methods in financial institutions

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct research on Machine Learning in Finance, in collaboration with Turing researchers
• Liaise with industry partners to gain an understanding of industry challenges and specific use cases
• Produce thought leadership publications for the Machine Learning in Finance theme
• Teaching may be required as part of collaboration work

The successful candidate will have:

ESSENTIAL

• PhD or publication record showing equivalent experience
• Hands-on experience with Machine Learning methods
• Demonstrated enthusiasm and ability to rapidly assimilate new computational and mathematical ideas and techniques on the job, at a more than superficial level, and apply them successfully.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience in the visual representation of quantitative data, the authoring of research papers or technical reports, and giving presentations or classes on technical subjects.
• Ability to work independently, including planning and execution, and to collaborate productively as part of a team

DESIRABLE

• Experience with practical applications of Machine Learning to financial use cases, and/or experience working with a financial services organisation (banking, insurance, asset management)

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, covering letter and contact details for your referees. If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact them via email [email protected].

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 19 August 2020 at 23:59

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full-time post is offered on a fixed-term contract for a period of 24 months. Salary £35,000 plus excellent benefits. https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

This job description is written at a specific time and is subject to change as the demands of the Institute and the role develop. The role requires flexibility and adaptability and the post holder needs to be aware that they may be asked to perform tasks and be given responsibilities not detailed in this job description.

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, gender reassignment, marital and civil partnership status, pregnancy, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Reasonable adjustments to the interview process can also 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.