Technical Specialist - Ai / Generalist

Technical Specialist - AI / Generalist

Salary: c.£65,000 - c.£95,000
Location: Kings Cross, London (hybrid)
Employment Type: We plan for this role to be full-time, but we’re open to discussing flexible working arrangements (potentially including a job share)
Contract Type: 3 years fixed-term (with the possibility for extension)
Closing Date for Applications: 25.03.24

About ARIA

ARIA funds breakthrough R&D for society. With an unprecedented level of independence and operational freedom, we are rethinking how to best support scientists and engineers whose work can change the world. We are growing our team to develop bold new approaches that can scale – from programmes to systems, processes and everything in between. If that sounds fun, come and build ARIA with us.

Learn more about how we work here.

Role Summary

As a Technical Specialist to davidad, you will have the rare chance to catalyse AI breakthroughs that could change the world and that might very well not otherwise be created. You'll get to sit at the control panel of davidad’s Safeguarded AI Programme, helping to direct teams across academia, startups, and industry in pursuit of a world-changing new paradigm for AI R&D. 

You’ll be exposed to every aspect of the programme's technical management from crafting solicitations to project selection, programme and project management, prioritisation, crystallisation of abstractions and interfaces, and definition and evaluation of deliverables.

This unique role will require you to develop a solid technical understanding of the programme, as well as great communication skills (including the ability to quickly learn the relevant technical jargon), appreciation and experience of how components of research projects join up to form systems, and a sharply-tuned sense of which threads most deserve attention, to coordinate the delivery of programme goals across a portfolio of projects to maximise expected value.

We’re looking for an adaptable technical professional who’s strongly motivated by the opportunity to deliver a working safe AI system that could scale to transformative impact. You’ll be working in a bold, talented team, in the pursuit of groundbreaking advancements that will shape the future of science & technology.
Meet David 'davidad' Dalrymple

Read davidad's programme thesis here.

“I’m self-aware enough to know that my attentional bandwidth is a scarce resource, and allocating it effectively is not my comparative advantage. This Technical Specialist will be a huge force multiplier on the effectiveness of my vision. You don’t need to already be an AI researcher or engineer but if your passion is on the meta-level – optimising systems of people, communication flows, processes, incentives and motivations, in the service of getting R&D done – then as long as you can pick up the lingo, I’d be excited to have you as in as one of the top 3 people I work most consistently closely with over these critical next few years.”

David “davidad” Dalrymple, Programme Director

What you’ll do 

An ARIA programme office consists of a Programme Director, Technical Specialist, and Programme Specialist. All other personnel involved in an ARIA programme will not be employed directly by ARIA, but will be funded in other ways.

The scope of the Technical Specialist role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:

• Track and monitor all ongoing and upcoming activities in the programme, and identify and prioritise the most critical opportunities to utilise the Programme Director as a resource to accelerate or unblock progress.
• Aid and advise the Programme Director in evaluating research and developing project-specific technical insight. This includes activities like proposal review, ongoing project oversight, technical milestone assessment, sourcing and outreach to experts, presentations, and reporting.
• Co-author solicitations, white papers, and technical memoranda.
• Drive the seamless execution of projects on a day-to-day basis, taking charge as the technical bridge linking Programme Directors, diverse project teams, and potential collaborators within the R&D community.
• Delegate to the Programme Specialist on triage of correspondence, scheduling, and project/programme management activities that don’t necessarily require technical fluency.
• Serve as a resource to the Programme Specialist when they are blocked by a question that requires more technical context.
• Plan, coordinate and steer technical discussions and presentations in project meetings and workshops, and other conferences or events where you would be the representative of the programme.
• Deliver programme portfolio evaluations, insightful recommendations, and streamlined reporting for Programme Directors and key stakeholders, facilitating informed strategic directions.
• Contribute your technical abilities to tasks like data management within the programme, amplifying its overall effectiveness.

Who you are

Essential Criteria

• • You excel in grasping and navigating diverse technical projects.
  • You are prolific at scientific/technical drafting and communications, with strong presentation skills.
  • You skillfully convey complex technical ideas and project timelines to technical stakeholders in adjacent fields, bridging gaps between diverse teams, perspectives, and initiatives.
  • You are quick to learn technical concepts, building on a background in engineering, science, mathematics, or a related field.
  • You have strong analytical skills, capable of distilling complex technical information into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
  • You have exceptional multitasking abilities and are adept at managing and prioritising multiple work streams.
  • You are equally comfortable deferring to others, forming your own view, and switching between those attitudes.
  • You are comfortable facilitating clear and open bidirectional communication with stakeholders regarding technical project deliverables and progress updates.
  • You are willing to ask questions and are eagerly curious about new scientific areas.

You measure your success by how much more others were able to accomplish because of your intervention.

Desirable Criteria

• You are somewhat comfortable with the concepts of type theory (e.g. f is a function with input type X and output type Y+Z) and recursion or mathematical induction, either from a mathematical perspective or from first-hand use of a strongly typed programming language.
• You are familiar with some project management processes and structures—not just Agile, but frameworks like PERT, PMBOK, or PRINCE2—but you aren't tightly bound to any particular framework.
• You have a keen interest in the history of technological development, and how historical R&D successes were pulled off—like ARPA’s creation of the Internet, Bell Labs’ creation of the transistor, NASA’s creation of the Apollo program, the Manhattan Project, etc.
• You have facilitated the success of complex projects with multiple research and/or engineering subteams producing components that unite.
• You are okay with uncertainty and have worked in a startup or other fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

Scientific degree, with a preference for PhD or other deeper technical expertise, but not necessarily in computer science.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell an additional 5 days
• Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home
• Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave arrangements
• A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme
• 2 days of paid volunteer days
• 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension
• An excellent office location in Kings X, London

Not sure you meet 100% of our criteria? Don’t worry. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We want to attract the broadest array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to this, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interests and what you hope to bring to this role.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Disclosing any requests are intended to provide ARIA with the best opportunity to support candidates and will have no negative impact on your recruitment process.

Please note; You will be required, as and when necessary, to travel to different locations around the UK to support projects, depending on the Programme you are designated to.