Workplace Technology Engineer

London, Manchester Job Summary The UK AI Security Institute (AISI) exists to make frontier AI systems secure, trustworthy, and beneficial for society. We work at the heart of the UK government with direct lines to No. 10, advancing our understanding of how to evaluate and govern advanced AI systems so they can be deployed safely and responsibly. Our mission is to strengthen state technical capacity in AI security research to support both government and global partners in managing the risks and harnessing the opportunities of this transformative technology. Job Description You'll join AISI's Workplace Technology team, a sub-team of Business Operations, which is part of the Talent & Operations directorate. Business Operations looks at how AISI runs as an organisation and how to improve it, and we're its technical arm. AISI needs to keep pace with the frontier AI labs it works with. We're also part of government, so we carry a public body's legal duties and security obligations, and much of our infrastructure is shared with other departments. Bringing in a new tool can need sign-off from several approval boards and changes to identity, devices and networking, each owned by a different provider. Our Job Is To Close That Gap While Keeping AISI Secure And Accountable. We Don't Think Anyone In Government Has Fully Cracked This Yet, And We Find It An Exciting Problem To Work On. We Have Three Missions: Identify and strategise. Work out what software and systems AISI needs, and how they should be run and governed.Procure, build and integrate. Buy or build the tools AISI needs, get them through government security and assurance, and automate the workflows that cause the most friction.Enable and upskill. Help staff adopt new tools and ways of working, and raise the quality of AI use across AISI. AISI is also deciding how much of its technology it should own and run itself, and you'd help shape that. We're a close group (4-5) of curious problem-solvers who care about each other. We like messy problems and we're honest with each other when something isn't working. If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you. What you'll do: examples from the team's current work This is what the team is working on at the moment, to give you a flavour of the job. The work is varied, and most weeks involve some coding, some time with stakeholders and some strategy work. Connecting AI assistants to everyday work tools. We're securely linking our in-house AI assistant platform to staff email, calendars, Teams and documents in Microsoft 365, and building the controls needed for data protection sign-off.Improving our AI assistant platform, which staff across AISI use every day. We ship new features and UX improvements, and we're fixing findings from a recent independent security test.Automating identity and access. We're designing an Okta-based setup, backed by a single reliable source of people data, so that joiners, movers and leavers get (and lose) the right access automatically.Rebuilding operational workflows. We've replaced spreadsheet and email processes in Finance and Grants with Airtable systems, and we're building small web apps with proper approvals and dashboards for other teams.Evaluating and deploying new AI tooling. Scanning the market for emerging AI productivity and agentic tooling, assessing options against AISI's security, data protection and operational requirements, and taking the strongest candidates through evaluation, governance and rollout.Fixing tech issues that cause a lot of friction. We recently worked with our IT provider and a vendor to diagnose a network security issue that kept cutting off engineers' remote development sessions.Shaping AISI's long-term technology. We're working out how AISI's devices, identity, Microsoft 365 and software should be run and governed in future, and how much of that AISI should own itself. That means mapping dependencies and weighing up options with senior leaders. You'll join AISI's Workplace Technology team, a sub-team of Business Operations, which is part of the Talent & Operations directorate. Business Operations looks at how AISI runs as an organisation and how to improve it, and we're its technical arm. AISI needs to keep pace with the frontier AI labs it works with. We're also part of government, so we carry a public body's legal duties and security obligations, and much of our infrastructure is shared with other departments. Bringing in a new tool can need sign-off from several approval boards and changes to identity, devices and networking, each owned by a different provider. Our Job Is To Close That Gap While Keeping AISI Secure And Accountable. We Don't Think Anyone In Government Has Fully Cracked This Yet, And We Find It An Exciting Problem To Work On. We Have Three Missions: Identify and strategise. Work out what software and systems AISI needs, and how they should be run and governed.Procure, build and integrate. Buy or build the tools AISI needs, get them through government security and assurance, and automate the workflows that cause the most friction.Enable and upskill. Help staff adopt new tools and ways of working, and raise the quality of AI use across AISI. AISI is also deciding how much of its technology it should own and run itself, and you'd help shape that. We're a close group (4-5) of curious problem-solvers who care about each other. We like messy problems and we're honest with each other when something isn't working. If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you. What you'll do: examples from the team's current work This is what the team is working on at the moment, to give you a flavour of the job. The work is varied, and most weeks involve some coding, some time with stakeholders and some strategy work. Connecting AI assistants to everyday work tools. We're securely linking our in-house AI assistant platform to staff email, calendars, Teams and documents in Microsoft 365, and building the controls needed for data protection sign-off.Improving our AI assistant platform, which staff across AISI use every day. We ship new features and UX improvements, and we're fixing findings from a recent independent security test.Automating identity and access. We're designing an Okta-based setup, backed by a single reliable source of people data, so that joiners, movers and leavers get (and lose) the right access automatically.Rebuilding operational workflows. We've replaced spreadsheet and email processes in Finance and Grants with Airtable systems, and we're building small web apps with proper approvals and dashboards for other teams.Evaluating and deploying new AI tooling. Scanning the market for emerging AI productivity and agentic tooling, assessing options against AISI's security, data protection and operational requirements, and taking the strongest candidates through evaluation, governance and rollout.Fixing tech issues that cause a lot of friction. We recently worked with our IT provider and a vendor to diagnose a network security issue that kept cutting off engineers' remote development sessions.Shaping AISI's long-term technology. We're working out how AISI's devices, identity, Microsoft 365 and software should be run and governed in future, and how much of that AISI should own itself. That means mapping dependencies and weighing up options with senior leaders. Person specification We're flexible on the exact profile. We expect strong candidates will meet many of the criteria below, but not all of them. Essential Has solid software engineering experience. Has worked 2+ years as a software engineer and/or equivalent academic or production experience. Comfortable writing Python or TypeScript, working in shared codebases with peer review and CI, and debugging integrations from logs and documentation. Experience in infrastructure engineering and building in environments with stronger security needs highly appreciated.Enjoys improving the way people work. Cares about the person stuck with a clunky process and enjoys turning painful workflows into ones that work.Thinks in systems and works well within constraints in a resourceful way. Looks beyond symptoms to understand root causes, dependencies and trade-offs. When there are challenges, whether it's from a stakeholder perspective or a security perspective, can come up with creative and pragmatic solutions.Prioritises well and follows through. Can identify what matters most, make sensible trade-offs, and focus effort where it will have the greatest impact. Sees important work through to completion rather than leaving it 80% done.Communicates clearly, in writing and in the room. Can write concise documents for senior leaders, explain workflows in plain language, and discuss design decisions confidently with an architectural review board.Exercises good judgement about risk. Handles sensitive data appropriately, knows when something needs additional scrutiny.Uses AI critically as part of day-to-day work. Day-to-day workflow integrates latest AI tools and models, whilst reviewing their outputs critically.Builds trust within and across teams. Works effectively with operators, engineers, security colleagues and external providers. Keeps people informed, takes concerns seriously, and makes collaboration straightforward. Desirable Experience with enterprise IT or platforms, such as identity and access management (Okta, Entra), Microsoft 365 administration or integration, device management, or cloud platforms.Experience in government or a similar environment, such as another public body or a regulated industry, where decisions go through formal governance and you've had to work within it. Alongside your salary of £56,850, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £16,469 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window). The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including: A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts. Office attendance The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period. Artificial intelligence 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 candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. In the event of high volume applications we will sift on cv only. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Applications will be sifted on the CV and personal statement. Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) for the following: Tell us why you want to join AISI's Workplace Technology team as an engineer, and what you'd bring. Please include: One concrete example of a product, internal tool or automation you've shipped: the problem, what you built (be specific about the design, architecture, APIs or low-code platforms used), the outcome, and what you'd do differently. And Answer To One Of These Two: What motivates you to come into work everyday? What gives you a sense of fulfilment in work? What's a product, tool or solution that you particularly admire. Whether it is in its design, in the way it solves a problem elegantly or efficiently, or changes how people interact with a system or task, or something you wished you had built yourself. Interviews Interview 1: Short screening interview about your motivation for joining AISI and this roleInterview 2: Task-based interviewInterview 3: Senior interview panel Sift and interview dates Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. Further Information Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest. Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and can be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return. Reasonable Adjustment We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions. Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available. We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position. Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade. Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you. Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website. DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Vetting For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website. Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups: UK nationalsnationals of the Republic of Irelandnationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UKnationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on 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. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). 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. The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). 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). This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job Contact : Name : Joanna RuanEmail : joanna.ruan@dsit.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.