Research Assistant/Associate in Ethics and Safety of Artificial Intelligence Systems in the Public Sector (Fixed Term)

An exciting opportunity exists for a Research Assistant / Associate to work on the project: "Advancing ethically informed socio-technical safety of AI systems in the public sector". This project investigates how local authorities in the UK can be equipped to effectively govern the integration of socio-technical ethical and safety principles into the deployment of AI systems for urban-scale decisions. (Funding: EPSRC through the AI Safety Institute).

Key responsibilities and duties comprise: developing the research vision into executable tasks to achieve the project's aim through mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods; developing findings into a socio-technical governance framework; producing high-quality research and industry-facing outputs; building and maintaining strategic networks; and coordinating research activities (e.g. survey design and roll-out, hosting workshops).

The post holder will: be instrumental in undertaking the project with a thematic focus on systemic safety, and ethics within the context of public sector administration, emphasizing urban planning; work with the interdisciplinary team and industry collaborators to develop novel practical insights about understandings of systemic safety, and inform how that could be achieved in the public sector. The person would also contribute to developing evidence-based guidance for public sector bodies, and academic outputs. It is expected that the successful candidate will conduct research independently, and collaboratively within the team.

The skills, qualifications and experience required to perform the role include: Research experience and knowledge of ethical and safety issues in the public sector/public administration, how public sector bodies navigate ethical and safety concerns, and experience in conducting mixed methods research with a socio-technical view (All strongly desirable).

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD (and/or equivalent professional experience). Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

Salary Ranges:

*Research Assistant: £32,296 - £34,866

*Research Associate: £36,924 - £45,163

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 9 months or until 4 February 2026. whichever comes earlier in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

Please ensure that you upload the following: Curriculum Vitae, including any relevant publications, a covering letter describing how you meet the essential and desirable criteria, and the contact details of two referees, in the Upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application. Please submit your application by 23:59 on the closing date.

Please contact Dr Oti-Sarpong (ko363@cam.ac.uk) for technical queries about the role or Jessica Krishan (jk909@cam.ac.uk) for questions on the application process. 

Please quote reference NM45234 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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