Principal Research Scientist - AI Safety

WHY FACULTY? We established Faculty in 2014 because we thought that AI would be the most important technology of our time. Since then, we’ve worked with over 350 global customers to transform their performance through human-centric AI. You can read about our real-world impact here. We don’t chase hype cycles. We innovate, build and deploy responsible AI which moves the needle - and we know a thing or two about doing it well. We bring an unparalleled depth of technical, product and delivery expertise to our clients who span government, finance, retail, energy, life sciences and defence. Our business, and reputation, is growing fast and we’re always on the lookout for individuals who share our intellectual curiosity and desire to build a positive legacy through technology. AI is an epoch-defining technology, join a company where you’ll be empowered to envision its most powerful applications, and to make them happen. ABOUT THE TEAM We are the central research and development team within Faculty's broader AI safety charter. Our group focuses on fundamental and applied technical AI safety research, producing rigorous scientific outputs - publications, tooling, technical reports & evaluations - that advance the theory, practice and understanding of AI risks, and directly inform the work of frontier AI labs, government agencies, and national security institutes. Our research spans fundamental research using black-box and white-box approaches to understand and steer AI systems, to building and advancing safety evaluations which better understand and quantify risks in AI. We care deeply about mechanistic understanding and scientific rigour in measuring risks in AI systems. Current research threads include (but are not limited to) uncertainty calibration, goal drift, misinformation mitigation, steering vectors, robust safeguard measurement and the science of evaluations. We collaborate closely with the Faculty's wider AI safety team, a group with a well-established track record in capability evaluations and red-teaming for misuse risk across CBRN, cybersecurity, societal and psychosocial harms. That work has been conducted for several leading frontier model developers and national safety institutes, and has been featured in model cards and safety reports from Anthropic, GDM, Meta & OpenAI. ABOUT THE ROLE As a Senior Research Scientist at Faculty, you will lead the development of cutting-edge safety evaluations to quantify AI risks in critical domains like CBRN and Cyber. Joining our high-impact R&D team, you will drive original research that advances safety methodology while collaborating with delivery teams building evaluations and red-teaming for frontier labs. This is a high-agency opportunity to conduct technical AI safety research that produces scientific outputs shaping the future of safe real-world AI deployment. WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING * Leading the development of novel safety evaluations in high-impact domains such as CBRN and Cyber to quantify emerging risks. * Executing original technical research in AI safety evaluation methods, taking ideas from concept to publication. * Shaping the R&D agenda by identifying strategic opportunities to advance safety evaluation methodology across Faculty and the broader ecosystem. * Contributing thought leadership and deep technical expertise to client delivery projects, evaluation work, and red-teaming for frontier labs. * Representing Faculty’s scientific leadership through active external engagement with the global research community, frontier labs, and government stakeholders. WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR * A track record of owning research end-to-end—from identifying novel problems to publication—driven by scientific curiosity and tenacity. * Hands-on experience designing and building AI evaluations or benchmarks, alongside a strong ability to reason about construct validity and mitigate confounds. * Expertise in red-teaming, adversarial testing, jailbreaking, indirect prompt injection, and assessing the robustness of model safeguards. * Strong foundational skills in experimental design, statistical analysis, and uncertainty quantification, including Bayesian methods. * Deep knowledge of language models, generative AI architectures, training methodologies, and safety mitigation techniques. * Solid Python proficiency combined with the engineering discipline required to build robust, reproducible research. NICE TO HAVES * Experience in threat and risk modelling. * Background or knowledge in high-risk domains such as CBRN or Cybersecurity. * A history of high-impact AI research, evidenced by top-tier publications or equivalent practical achievements. OUR RECRUITMENT ETHOS We aim to grow the best team - not the most similar one. We know that diversity of individuals fosters diversity of thought, and that strengthens our principle of seeking truth. And we know from experience that diverse teams deliver better work, relevant to the world in which we live. We’re united by a deep intellectual curiosity and desire to use our abilities for measurable positive impact. We strongly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, religions and sexual orientations. Some of our standout benefits: * Unlimited Annual Leave Policy * Private healthcare and dental * Enhanced parental leave * Family-Friendly Flexibility & Flexible working * Sanctus Coaching * Hybrid Working If you don’t feel you meet all the requirements, but are excited by the role and know you bring some key strengths, please don't hesitate in applying as you might be right for this role, or other roles. We are open to conversations about part-time hours.

WHY FACULTY? We established Faculty in 2014 because we thought that AI would be the most important technology of our time. Since then, we’ve worked with over 350 global customers to transform their performance through human-centric AI. You can read about our real-world impact here. We don’t chase hype cycles. We innovate, build and deploy responsible AI which moves the needle - and we know a thing or two about doing it well. We bring an unparalleled depth of technical, product and delivery expertise to our clients who span government, finance, retail, energy, life sciences and defence. Our business, and reputation, is growing fast and we’re always on the lookout for individuals who share our intellectual curiosity and desire to build a positive legacy through technology. AI is an epoch-defining technology, join a company where you’ll be empowered to envision its most powerful applications, and to make them happen.   ABOUT THE TEAM Our National Security and AI Safety business unit is dedicated to advancing the responsible development and deployment of AI in support of national security and global stability. From strengthening mission-critical capabilities across national security and intelligence, to working with frontier labs to provide robust AI safety red teaming and evaluation, we work at the frontier of high-stakes, high-impact missions. We understand that powerful AI systems bring both transformative opportunities and complex risks and we are proud to partner with Government and the biggest tech organisations in the world to ensure AI is not just transformative but is also secure, trustworthy and safe for all. Because of the nature of the work we do with our Government clients, you may need to be eligible for UK Developed Vetting (DV) and willing to work on site with our clients from time to time.   ABOUT THE ROLE   As a Delivery Manager in our National Security and Safety team at Faculty, you will act as a pivotal commercial and delivery lead, driving high-stakes AI transformation for the UK’s most critical government partners. You will be a strategic architect, building deep networks of influence and solving complex challenges by bridging the gap between cutting-edge AI research and operational mission needs. With an entrepreneurial spirit, you will exceed ambitious growth targets while mentoring multidisciplinary teams to ensure every project delivers meaningful, long-term value in a fast-evolving national security landscape.   WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:   * Owning the end-to-end delivery of customer projects, from initial scoping to final implementation. * Collaborating with technical teams and government partners to design innovative AI solutions that solve their most pressing mission challenges. * Managing project development and ensuring a delivery approach that provides maximum value to the national security community. * Forming strong, trusting relationships with customers, internal data scientists, and technical partners to translate research into operational impact. * Developing and executing compelling proposals to grow our footprint and impact across the national security sector. * Advising clients on AI strategy and technical implementation, acting as a trusted partner and consultant in high-stakes environments. * Mentoring your peers and taking a proactive role in building robust processes and practices within the team.   WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR:   * You bring a solid foundation in the National Security domain, with a passionate interest in how AI can transform high-stakes decision-making and public safety. * You possess experience in consultancy or service-based delivery, allowing you to manage complex project lifecycles and meet critical deadlines under pressure. * You take full responsibility for the successful delivery of your projects, from initial scoping to end-user adoption within government. * You are an exceptional communicator, with outstanding skills in managing senior stakeholders and translating complex concepts for non-technical audiences. * You are comfortable working with technical teams and have a proven track record of delivering technical projects, ideally in AI. * You are a practical problem-solver, identifying potential risks to national security missions and proactively implementing solutions.   THE INTERVIEW PROCESS   1. Talent Team Screen (30 minutes) 2. Introduction Interview (60 minutes) 3. Case Study Interview (60 minutes) OUR RECRUITMENT ETHOS We aim to grow the best team - not the most similar one. We know that diversity of individuals fosters diversity of thought, and that strengthens our principle of seeking truth. And we know from experience that diverse teams deliver better work, relevant to the world in which we live. We’re united by a deep intellectual curiosity and desire to use our abilities for measurable positive impact. We strongly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, religions and sexual orientations. Some of our standout benefits: * Unlimited Annual Leave Policy * Private healthcare and dental * Enhanced parental leave * Family-Friendly Flexibility & Flexible working * Sanctus Coaching * Hybrid Working If you don’t feel you meet all the requirements, but are excited by the role and know you bring some key strengths, please don't hesitate in applying as you might be right for this role, or other roles. We are open to conversations about part-time hours.