Technical Programme Manager, Chem-Bio

About the AI Security Institute

The AI Security Institute is the world's largest and best-funded team dedicated to understanding advanced AI risks and translating that knowledge into action. We’re in the heart of the UK government with direct lines to No. 10 (the Prime Minister's office), and we work with frontier developers and governments globally.

We’re here because governments are critical for advanced AI going well, and UK AISI is uniquely positioned to mobilise them. With our resources, unique agility and international influence, this is the best place to shape both AI development and government action.

The deadline for applying to this role is Sunday 19th July 2026, end of day, anywhere on Earth.

About the role

AI capabilities in the life sciences are advancing faster than at any point in history. Foundation models can now design novel proteins, interpret genomic sequences. These are extraordinary tools for scientific progress, but also have the potential for harm if misused. 

The AI Security Institute's Chem-Bio team exists to evaluate the capability of both frontier and narrow AI models in chemistry and biology, ensuring the UK government and its partners have an accurate view of risks and capabilities. This team is one of AISI's most consequential paths to impact, at a critical moment. Over the next twelve months it will need to move faster, deliver more complex research programmes, and engage more deeply with partners in major AI labs and security services than it has before. 

This role is for the person who makes that possible. You will sit directly alongside the CB team's researchers: helping them structure ambiguous research questions into tractable programmes, ensuring that our research lines up with the rigorous empirical claims the team must be able to evidence to inform policy, recommending which novel technical work to start and stop, or sequence technical dependencies across workstreams. It is a research-programme architecture role, working at the interface between "what should we investigate?" and "how do we actually do so?" 

What you will own

Research programme architecture . You will work directly with researchers to scope projects: refining what questions we're actually trying to answer, what the milestones and success criteria are for novel technical work, and how to sequence technical dependencies, resource and time across workstreams. You will be the person who turns "we should probably look into X" into a tractable research plan with clear deliverables, without imposing process that gets in researchers' way. 

Research delivery tracking and unblocking. You will bring a continuous improvement mindset to the team’s existing lightweight research management structures - sprint cadence, dependency maps, progress tracking - that create visibility and grip without overhead. You will surface technical blockers before they become crises and intervene directly to resolve them, and know exactly when and to whom to escalate. The goal is researchers spending their time on research, not logistics. 

Cross-government technical engagement. You will manage the technical interface with government partners (Dstl, UKHSA, MOD, and others) where that engagement is about research— data-sharing arrangements, conducting joint technical work, scoping requirements for access for classified compute. This role is about ensuring the work we deliver is technically sound, not about communicating its results, which sits with our exploitation colleagues. You will work closely with the CB team's delivery and exploitation colleagues to make sure the work they do is technically grounded. 

Team operations and pace. You will maintain the operational rhythm that lets a small, high-performing research team move at frontier speed inside government. You will ensure the team has what it needs to deliver, and that nothing falls through the cracks. 

Role Requirements

• A track record as a technical programme manager working directly with researchers or engineers. You have managed complex technical programmes – ideally at an AI lab, a biotech startup, in defence/intelligence R&D, or in a similarly high-ambiguity research environment. You know how to scope and structure novel research work (where the answer isn't known in advance), not just deliver against a pre-defined plan. You have earned the trust of technical teams by understanding their work deeply enough to provide critical challenge, and engage beyond process. 
• Comfort operating at the frontier of AI. You do not need to be a machine learning researcher, but you need to be fluent enough in frontier AI to operate in constant conversation with researchers about our work, strategy and research taste; and understand what's hard, what's speculative, what's blocked, and what "good" looks like for a given experiment or evaluation. 
• High agency and ownership. You take responsibility for outcomes, not activities. When something is stuck, you pick up the phone. You do not wait for someone else to escalate. 
• Credibility with technical teams. Researchers trust you because you understand their constraints, respect their expertise, and demonstrably make their lives easier. You influence through competence and service, not authority or process. 
• Strong prioritisation under pressure. You can identify what actually matters this week and focus the team's energy there while keeping longer-horizon work alive. You have the judgement to recognise work that isn't landing and the confidence to escalate it or recommend that it stop. 
• Discretion and judgement in a sensitive domain. You understand that work at the intersection of AI and biology carries dual-use sensitivity. You are comfortable working within classified constraints and can make sound trade-offs between openness, security and pace. 

Strong candidates may also have:

• Experience in biosecurity, life sciences, public health or adjacent domains where similar dual-use judgement is  required
• Prior experience at a frontier AI lab
• Existing SC or DV clearance  
• Experience working in or with Dstl, MOD, DHSC, UKHSA or equivalent national security/adjacent bodies in other settings  
• Hands-on comfort with modern productivity tools (coding agents, Linear) and willingness to use AI tools as part of daily work  

Selection process 

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early. 

• Application - CV and a short cover note (max 500 words) explaining what draws you to this role and what you would bring. 
• Screening interview - Lightweight conversation on trajectory, motivation and fit. 
• Work test - A take-home exercise designed to test programme management judgement in context. You will receive this after the screening interview.
• Technical interview - Discussion of your work test with a current AISI TPM.
• Behavioural interview - Deeper dive on stakeholder management, prioritisation and team dynamics.
• Senior leadership interview (30 min) - Final conversation with AISI senior leadership. 

Security Clearance

Appointment is conditional on successfully completing UK Government SC clearance. Prior clearance is not required—we will sponsor and support you. You should normally have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years. You may also be required to undergo Developed Vetting (DV). DV typically requires a longer period of UK residency (around 10 years). Employment is conditional on obtaining and maintaining the required clearance(s). More detail on clearance eligibility can be found on the UK Government website: National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK.

 

What We Offer  

Impact you couldn't have anywhere else  

• Incredibly talented, mission-driven and supportive colleagues.  

• Direct influence on how frontier AI is governed and deployed globally.  

• Work with the Prime Minister’s AI Advisor and leading AI companies.  

• Opportunity to shape the first & best-resourced public-interest research team focused on AI security.  

Resources & access  

• Pre-release access to multiple frontier models and ample compute.  

• Extensive operational support so you can focus on research and ship quickly.  

• Work with experts across national security, policy, AI research and adjacent sciences.  

Growth & autonomy  

• If you’re talented and driven, you’ll own important problems early.  

• 5 days off and annual stipends for learning and development, and funding for conferences and external collaborations.  

• Freedom to pursue research bets without product pressure.  

• Opportunities to publish and collaborate externally.  

Life & family* 

• Modern central London office (cafes, food court, gym), or where applicable, option to work in similar government offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Salford or Bristol.  

• Hybrid working, flexibility for occasional remote work abroad and stipends for work-from-home equipment.  

• At least 25 days’ annual leave, 8 public holidays, extra team-wide breaks and 3 days off for volunteering.  

• Generous paid parental leave (36 weeks of UK statutory leave shared between parents + 3 extra paid weeks + option for additional unpaid time).  

• On top of your salary, we contribute 28.97% of your base salary to your pension.  

• Discounts and benefits for cycling to work, donations and retail/gyms.  
   

*These benefits apply to direct employees. Benefits may differ for individuals joining through other employment arrangements such as secondments.  

Salary

Annual salary is benchmarked to role scope and relevant experience. Most offers land between £65,000 and £145,000 made up of a base salary plus a technical allowance (take-home salary = base + technical allowance). An additional 28.97% employer pension contribution is paid on the base salary.  

This role sits outside of the  DDaT pay framework given the scope of this role requires in depth technical expertise in frontier AI safety, robustness and advanced AI architectures.  

The full range of salaries are available below:  

• Level 3: £65,000–£75,000 (Base £39,850 + Technical Allowance £25,150–£35,150)
• Level 4: £85,000–£95,000 (Base £47,355 + Technical Allowance £37,645–£47,645)
• Level 5: £105,000–£115,000 (Base £61,620 + Technical Allowance £43,380–£53,380)
• Level 6: £125,000–£135,000 (Base £74,605 + Technical Allowance £50,395–£60,395)
• Level 7: £145,000 (Base £74,605 + Technical Allowance £70,395)

 

Additional Information

Use of AI in Applications

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our  for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Internal Fraud Database  

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  For more information please see -  Internal Fraud Register.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and get  baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) clearance before they can be appointed. Additionally, there is a strong preference for eligibility for  counter-terrorist check (CTC) clearance . Some roles may require higher levels of clearance, and we will state this by exception in the job advertisement.  See our vetting charter here.

Nationality requirements

We may be able to offer roles to applicant from any nationality or background . As such we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet the standard nationality requirements (opens in a new window).

Working for the Civil Service

The  Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the  Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)and the  Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) . As part of the application process, we monitor statistics on D&I. You can see how we process this data here: Recruitment privacy notice - GOV.UK .