Principal Research Scientist - AI Safety

Faculty

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 Faculty’s Research team conducts critical red teaming and builds evaluations for misuse capabilities in sensitive areas, such as CBRN, cybersecurity and international security, for several leading frontier model developers and national safety institutes; notably, our work has been featured in OpenAI's system card for o1. Our commitment also extends to conducting fundamental technical research on mitigation strategies, with our findings published in peer-reviewed conferences and delivered to national security institutes. Complementing this, we design evaluations for model developers across broader safety-relevant fields, including the societal impacts of increasingly capable frontier models, showcasing our expertise across the safety landscape. ABOUT THE ROLE We are seeking a Senior Research Scientist to join our high-impact R&D. You will lead novel research that advances scientific understanding and fuels our ambition to build safe AI systems. This is a crucial opportunity to join a small, high-agency team conducting vital red teaming and evaluations for frontier models in sensitive areas like cybersecurity and national security. You'll shape the future of safe AI deployment in the real world. WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING: * Owning and driving forward high-impact AI research themes in AI safety. * Contributing to the wider vision and development of Faculty’s AI safety research agenda. * Supporting Faculty’s positioning as a leader in AI safety through thought leadership and stakeholder engagement. * Shaping our research agenda by identifying impactful opportunities and balancing scientific and practical priorities. * Leading technical research within the AI Safety space, from concept to publication. * Supporting the delivery of evaluations and red-teaming projects in high-risk domains, such as CBRN and cybersecurity, with government and commercial partners. WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR: * You have a track record of working with high-impact AI research, evidenced by top-tier academic publications or equivalent experience. * You bring proven experience or a clear passion for Applied AI safety, perhaps from labs, academia, or evaluation and red-teaming roles. * You possess deep domain knowledge in language models and generative AI model architectures, including fine-tuning techniques beyond API-level implementation. * You have practical machine learning experience, with a focus on areas such as robustness, explainability, or uncertainty estimation. * You are proficient with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar) and familiar with the HuggingFace ecosystem or equivalent ML tooling. * You have demonstrable Python engineering experience to build and support robust research projects. * You have the ability to conduct and oversee complex technical research projects and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. 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.

Faculty

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.

PhysicsX

ABOUT US PhysicsX is a deep-tech company with roots in numerical physics and Formula One, dedicated to accelerating hardware innovation at the speed of software. We are building an AI-driven simulation software stack for engineering and manufacturing across advanced industries. By enabling high-fidelity, multi-physics simulation through AI inference across the entire engineering lifecycle, PhysicsX unlocks new levels of optimization and automation in design, manufacturing, and operations — empowering engineers to push the boundaries of possibility. Our customers include leading innovators in Aerospace & Defense, Materials, Energy, Semiconductors, and Automotive. NOTE: WE ARE CURRENTLY RECRUITING FOR MULTIPLE LEVELS AND POSITIONS, HOWEVER PLEASE ONLY APPLY FOR THE ROLE THAT BEST ALIGNS WITH YOUR SKILLSET AND CAREER GOALS. WHAT YOU WILL DO  * Own Research work-streams at a high-level to deliver outcomes. * Align priorities with problem stakeholders, internal and external. * Set the technical direction for the stream and apply judgement and taste to drive progress. * Plan roadmaps with clear milestones for key decisions and outcomes. * Organise and guide the more junior members of the team to effectively execute and deliver against this roadmap. * Communicate purpose and key outcomes to raise awareness across the company and create opportunities for use and deployment. * Contribute towards Research group strategy and culture. * Identify research areas that would be valuable to the company and champion their development, ordering wrt other research objectives. * Promote effective working patterns and proactively flag issues with team dynamics to foster a productive environment. * Nurture younger colleagues to grow their skillset and guide their professional development. * The below activities in particular. * Work closely with our machine learning engineers, simulation engineers, and customers to translate physics and engineering challenges into mathematical problem formulations. * Build models to predict the behaviour of physical systems using state-of-the-art machine learning and deep learning techniques. * Discuss the results and implications of your work with colleagues and customers, especially how these results can address real-world problems. * Collaborate with colleagues beyond the research team to translate your models into production-ready code. * Communicate your work to others internally and externally as called for in paper publication venues, industry workshops, customer conversations, etc. This will involve writing for academic and non-academic audiences.   WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE * Ability to scope and effectively deliver projects. * Enthusiasm about using machine learning, especially deep learning and/or probabilistic methods, for science and engineering. * Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to analyse issues, identify causes, and recommend solutions quickly. * Excellent collaboration and communication skills — with teams and customers alike. * PhD in computer science, machine learning, applied statistics, mathematics, physics, engineering, or a related field, with particular expertise in any of the following: 1. operator learning (neural operators), or other probabilistic methods for PDEs; 2. geometric deep learning or other 3D computer vision methods for point-cloud or mesh-structured data; 3. generative models for geometry and spatiotemporal data (VAEs, Diffusion Models, Bayesian non-parametric, scaling to large datasets, etc.). * Ideally, >4 years of experience in a data-driven role in a professional industry setting, where you have been instrumental in: * building machine learning models and pipelines in Python, using common libraries and frameworks (PyTorch / CUDA, ideally with exposure to JAX, NumPy / SciPy), especially including deep learning applications; * developing models for bespoke problem settings that involve high-dimensional data (spatiotemporal, geometric, physical); * iterating on network architectures and model structure, tuning and optimising for inductive biases, improved generalisability, and improved performance; * combining theoretical reasoning with empirical intuition to guide investigation; * formulating and running experiment pipelines to benchmark models and produce comparable results; * writing skills for communication complex technical concepts to peers and non-peers, tailoring the message for the required audience. * Publication record in reputable venues that demonstrates mastery in your field, and in particular the domains of interest listed above. Desirable venues include (but not limited to): NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, UAI, AISTATS, AAAI, Siggraph, CVPR or TPAMI/JMLR.   WHAT WE OFFER Build what actually matters Help shape an AI-native engineering company at a formative stage, tackling problems that genuinely matter for industry and society. This is work with real-world impact - and something you can be proud to stand behind. Learn alongside exceptional people Work with a high-caliber, collaborative team of engineers, scientists, and operators who care deeply about doing great work, and about helping each other get better. We come from diverse backgrounds, but we share a commitment to operating at the highest level and addressing some of the most complex challenges out there. If you’re ambitious, thoughtful, and driven by impact, you’ll feel at home. Influence over hierarchy We operate with a flat structure: good ideas win - wherever they come from. Questioning assumptions and challenging the status quo isn’t just welcomed, it’s expected. Sustainable pace, long-term ambition Building meaningful technology is a marathon, not a sprint. We believe in balancing focused, ambitious work with a life beyond it. Our hybrid model blends time together in our Shoreditch office with work-from-home days, giving you the flexibility to work sustainably while staying connected in person. And it doesn’t stop there … 🚀 Equity options - share meaningfully in the company you’re helping to build. 🏦 10% employer pension contribution - because investing in future matters. 🍽️ Free office lunches - to keep you energised and focused. 👶 Enhanced parental leave - 3 months full pay paternity and 6 months full pay maternity leave, to provide extra flexibility during the moments that matter most. 🍼 YellowNest nursery scheme - to help working parents manage childcare costs. ☀️ 25 days of Annual Leave (+ Public Holidays) - because taking time to rest matters. 🏥 Private medical insurance - 100% employee cover, giving you complete peace of mind. 💪 Wellhub Subscription - gain access to thousands of gyms, classes and wellness apps, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing. 👀 Eye tests - because good work depends on good health. 📈 Personal development - dedicated support for learning, development, and leveling up over time. 💛 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - confidential wellbeing support, available whenever you need it. 🚲 Bike2Work scheme and 🚆 Season ticket loan - to make getting to work easier and greener. 🚗 Octopus EV salary sacrifice - for a simpler, more sustainable way to drive electric. 🔎 Watch this space, we’re continuing to build this as we grow…   We value diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We strongly encourage individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in tech to apply. To help make a change, we sponsor bright women from disadvantaged backgrounds through their university degrees in science and mathematics.    We collect diversity and inclusion data solely for the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of our equal opportunities policies and ensuring compliance with UK employment and equality legislation. This information is confidential, used only in aggregate form, and will not influence the outcome of your application.