Senior Research Associate, Defence and National Security, AI for Intelligence Analysis

HOURS: 36

CLOSES: 11 January 2026 at 23:59

The Alan Turing Institute

Named in honour of Alan Turing, the Institute is a place for inspiring, exciting work and we need passionate, 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 

BACKGROUND

The Turing has recently been awarded a £1m EPSRC research grant to develop AI methods that can support and enhance intelligence analysis for national security and defence. For this project, the Turing will lead an interdisciplinary consortium that also includes Warwick, Southampton, Dundee and Cardiff Universities, working closely with UK government defence and national security partners. The project, entitled “AI Intelligence Triage & Acquisition Support for Human-centred Analysis” (AiTASHA), aims to improve the speed and confidence of intelligence analysts’ assessments by building new AI tools that can work alongside human analysts.  

CANDIDATE PROFILE

We are looking for a Senior Research Associate, to conduct internationally leading research in machine learning, with applications to intelligence analysis. 

The ideal candidate will be experienced working with stakeholders and guide more junior members of the team.

Eligibility for Security Check (SC) clearance is a requirement. Eligibility criteria and further information on the process can be found on the government website.

Successful candidates will be subject to a Dstl research workers form check at offer stage.

KEY DUTIES

• Play a leading role in undertaking high-quality research, actively contributing to, and steering the broader research aims of the Defence and National Security Grand Challenge.
• Provide technical leadership for research projects, ensuring successful outcomes, including that research outcomes meet our government partners’ requirements and can be deployed in the real world.
• Contribute to, and lead where required, interdisciplinary research teams spanning multiple partner organisations.
• Contribute to software development including planning, execution and package release and management.
• Be a point of contact, supporting the PI in engaging with stakeholders.

Person Specification 

• A PhD (or equivalent experience and/or qualification) in a field with significant use of both computer programming and advanced statistical or numerical methods, e.g., machine learning, AI, computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering.
• Practical experience developing and applying Machine Learning to real world problems OR strong theoretical knowledge and academic experience with Machine Learning and adjacent topics.
• Significant experience in developing and applying computer vision and/or large language models, OR significant experience in machine learning interpretability, explainability, and/or uncertainty quantification. 

Please see our portal for a full breakdown of the role.

Terms and Conditions 

This post is offered on a fixed term basis, for two years from start date, annual salary is £56,840-£58,482 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, Employee-only benefits guide | The Alan Turing Institute

The Alan Turing Institute is based at the British Library. 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.

Application procedure

Please see our jobs portal for details on how to apply. 

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

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 adjustments@turing.ac.uk.

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