Technical Director Of AI Safety (AI)

TL;DR

Technical Director of AI Safety (AI): Leading the strategic R&D and technical delivery of AI safety initiatives for foundation models with an accent on red teaming, alignment, and interpretability research. Focus on scaling high-performing technical teams, shaping global AI safety standards, and driving research impact in collaboration with major frontier labs and security institutes.

Location: Must be based in or able to work from London (Hybrid)

Company

An applied AI company dedicated to building and deploying responsible, human-centric AI solutions across sectors including government, defense, and finance.

What you will do

• Define the overarching technical strategy for AI safety, setting research directions for mitigation of risks and societal harms.
• Build and lead a world-class R&D team, fostering a culture of scientific excellence through mentorship and strategic hiring.
• Drive academic impact through high-quality machine learning research and top-tier publications in the safety domain.
• Translate cutting-edge R&D into practical, market-leading safety offerings for frontier labs and national security institutes.
• Represent the company externally as a technical authority, influencing industry debates and presenting at major global events.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align research investment with commercial growth and strategic goals.

Requirements

• Proven track record in designing and leading high-performing technical R&D teams.
• Deep expertise in AI safety research, specifically regarding LLM alignment, interpretability, and robustness.
• Strong scientific background evidenced by high-impact machine learning publications and comprehensive understanding of transformer architectures.
• Strategic vision to set research priorities aligned with organizational goals.
• Excellent communication skills to influence C-suite stakeholders and the broader research community.
• Strong commercial acumen to navigate complex organizational structures and deliver high-value projects.

Culture & Benefits

• Unlimited annual leave policy.
• Private healthcare and dental coverage.
• Enhanced parental leave.
• Hybrid working environment with flexible arrangements.
• Access to Sanctus coaching and focus on intellectual curiosity.

Hiring process

• Talent Team Screen (45 mins).
• Principles and Experience interview (60 mins).
• Research Proposal (90 mins).
• Leadership Interview (60 mins) and meeting with CEO (30 mins).