Named in honour of Alan Turing, the Institute is a place for inspiring, exciting work and we need passionate, sharp, and innovative people who want to use their skills to contribute to our mission to make great leaps in data science and AI research to change the world for the better. Please find more information about us here.

The Turing has several teams within the Defence and Security Programme, based in Cheltenham and London which focuses on delivering real-world impact to enhance the security of the nation. Following in the footsteps of the institute’s namesake, Alan Turing, the team operates at the intersection of mathematics, engineering and computing and works in close collaboration with the Turing’s National Security partners. They enable the UK’s security community to draw on the very best of academia to achieve high impact solutions to the most pressing challenges in the field.

ROLE PURPOSE

Turing Data Scientists in the Defence and Security Programme understand the latest breakthroughs in Machine Learning and work to apply them to Defence and Security challenges. Data Scientists perform investigations based on tasking from D&S partners to derisk new technologies and create proof-of-concept work. Investigations often involve understanding whether a new algorithm is suitable for a particular problem, how academic technology performs when applied in real-world situations, and what the potential drawbacks of adopting a new technology are.

Integrated Data Scientists will spend part of their time on partner sites, working alongside partner data scientists. The classified nature of this work means that Turing Integrated Data Scientists must achieve security clearance.

Integrated Data Scientists will spend three days a week working with their Turing colleagues on data science projects. Work is done in collaboration with other team members. Senior Data Scientists are expected to provide support and consultancy to more junior team members, as well as providing technical leadership on their team projects. Two days a week will be spent on a partner site, understanding the projects that partner data scientists face, and collaborating with them to identify the most suitable ML tools, or develop new ones. Previous knowledge of Defence and Security is not required, however Integrated Data Scientists are customer-facing, and so require communication and collaboration skills. This role can be based in either our London's office based in the British Library or our Cheltenham office based in hub8.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Engage with data scientists from Turing’s Defence and Security Programme’s partners to learn their aims and requirements, and understand and identify problems they face
• Apply state-of-the-art Machine Learning and Data Science techniques emerging from the Institute, broader academia and industry to problems faced by the partners
• Perform rigorous investigations into new algorithms and applications, providing consultancy to inform our Partners’ decisions and developing high-quality proof-of-concept outputs
• Design and carry out rigorous experimentation and development, coaching junior team members and guiding collaborations to success
• Present, disseminate and explain our work via presentations, reports and workshops
• Provide technical project management and leadership for research projects
• Take ownership of a particular domain challenge area or methodology for the group
• Develop new projects in conjunction with colleagues, authoring research proposals and agreeing involvement for the group in activities across the institute.

• Experience in a field with significant use of both computer programming and advanced statistical or numerical methods, evidenced by a PhD degree; or equivalent professional experience.
• Professional experience in a field or sector with significant use of both computer programming and advanced algorithmic, statistical or numerical techniques.
• Fluency in one or more modern programming languages used in data science. In particular, we predominantly work in Python, but demonstrable use of other programming languages (e.g. modern C++, Java, Scala, Julia, R, Javascript, Rust, Go).
• Experience leading a project to a successful conclusion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience in the authoring of research papers or technical reports, and giving presentations or classes on technical subjects.
• Experience managing, structuring, analysing and visualising research data and the results of computational experiments.

Please see the Job Description for a full breakdown of the duties and responsibilities as well as 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 (maximum 3 pages, no photo) and covering letter (maximum 2 pages) telling us:

• Your past experience working with code and/or data
• Why you would like to become part of the Turing’s Defence and Security Programme?
• How your skillset would complement the activities of the team.

If you wish to share links to blog posts, public code repositories or research papers containing work that you have made significant contribution to, please add a link to those in your cover letter.

As these roles require Developed Vetting (DV) clearance, you are required to include the following information as part of your cover letter;

• Your current nationality
• Your nationality at birth
• Other nationality (include dual nationality if applicable)
• Confirmation that you have been residing in the UK for the past 5 years (if you haven’t, please provide details of when and where you resided and the reason)
• Country where you were born
• County in which you were born
• Town where you were born

Please note, if these details are not provided we will be unable to progress with your application.

For questions about the role and the recruiting process please get in touch with us at [email protected]. If you would like to apply using a different format, please contact us on 020 3862 3536, or email [email protected].

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Sunday 1st October 2023 at 23:59

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early or to interview suitable candidates before the closing date if enough applications are received.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full time post is offered on permanent basis. The annual salary range is £51,476 - £58,800 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits.

Should the appointed candidate currently hold a DV clearance, a security clearance allowance will be applied, or upon the successful completion of DV clearance. These roles require Developed Vetting (DV), the highest level of security clearance. If you do not already hold DV clearance you will be required to undergo the process and obtain DV clearance to continue in the role. National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please familiarise yourself with this process before submitting your application.

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. Obtaining and holding a Developed Vetting (DV) clearance is an essential requirement for this role. Candidates who are not granted, or unable to hold DV clearance will be ineligible to undertake this role.

The Alan Turing Institute is based at the British Library, in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter. We expect staff to come to our office at least 4 days per month. Some roles may require more days in the office; the hiring manager will be able to confirm this during the interview.

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.

We are committed to making sure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive. This includes making reasonable adjustments for candidates who have a disability or long-term condition. Please contact us at [email protected] to find out how we can assist you

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. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Developed Vetting. Full details on the pre-employment screening process can be requested from [email protected].