Director AISI

The Director will lead AISI at a pivotal moment for the development of advanced AI systems.

Responsibilities

• As co-leader of AISI alongside the Chief Research Officer, you will shape the Institute's strategy, international relationships and long-term impact. You will be responsible for ensuring the Institute operates as a trusted, effective and resilient national capability — translating world-leading technical insight into proportionate government action while stewarding a complex organisation under intense public, political and international scrutiny.
• You will lead AISI's engagement with the national security community, ensuring the Institute's work informs security, resilience and preparedness in relation to AI-enabled risks. You will act as a trusted interlocutor on highly sensitive issues, supporting decision-making in time-critical and high-risk contexts.
• You will provide clear, timely and authoritative advice to Ministers and senior officials on the implications of frontier AI developments for security, resilience and public policy. Working with the CRO, you will ensure that advice is grounded in robust technical understanding while remaining accessible and decision-ready.
• You will oversee the development of AISI's international strategy, determining the UK's objectives for international cooperation on AI safety and security and how to achieve them. You will represent the UK internationally with like-minded governments, international organisations and multilateral initiatives, and engage constructively with leading AI developers — securing cooperation while maintaining independence and public trust.
• You will lead a complex, multidisciplinary organisation, ensuring robust governance, security, ethics, assurance and risk-management arrangements appropriate to the sensitivity of AISI's work. You will steward public resources effectively and build an inclusive, high-performance culture that attracts and retains exceptional talent across a range of professional backgrounds.
• This role operates at the intersection of national security, international diplomacy, public policy and delivery. The decisions made here will directly influence UK and international approaches to frontier AI governance and risk management.
• The Chief Research Officer and AISI Director are equal co-leaders of the Institute, jointly responsible for its strategy, delivery and reputation. Together they co‑lead an organisation of approximately 200 staff, spanning research, engineering, policy, operations, delivery and national security functions. The CRO leads on scientific direction, technical capability and research impact. The Director leads on policy, national security and operations. Together, they are responsible for building a globally respected institution capable of helping the UK Government navigate the development of advanced AI systems.

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• We are looking for an exceptional leader with the judgement, credibility and authority to help lead AISI through its next phase of growth.
• You will have a proven track record leading a complex, high‑profile organisation, including setting long‑term vision, shaping culture and holding overall accountability for outcomes and quality through periods of growth, ambiguity and external scrutiny.
• You should be capable of operating effectively in fast‑moving, high‑stakes environments where evidence is often incomplete and decisions carry significant consequences. You will need to demonstrate a track record of taking consequential decisions under time pressure and intense scrutiny, comfortable making high‑stakes recommendations, challenging received wisdom and holding difficult positions with senior stakeholders where evidence demands it.
• You will need a strong understanding of AI systems and their associated security risks for national security and public policy, or a demonstrable ability to rapidly acquire and deploy technical expertise at the most senior levels.
• You will need proven ability to build relationships and influence at the most senior levels across government, industry and academia, with evidence of building coalitions, shaping agendas and securing outcomes across international partners, national security communities and industry. You will need a track record of providing clear, robust advice to Ministers, Permanent Secretaries or equivalents on complex and technically demanding issues, and being accountable for that advice under scrutiny.
• Just as importantly, you will need to be an exceptional builder of institutions, capable of bringing coherence to a complex organisation operating across multiple domains, designing the structures, governance and culture needed to operate at scale, and ensuring alignment between technical, policy and operational work.
• We are looking for someone capable of combining strategic vision, institutional leadership and the ability to operate at the highest levels of government and international diplomacy at a moment that may shape the trajectory of AI globally.