The Ada Lovelace Institute (Ada) is looking to hire a UK Public Policy Lead to develop and shape UK Government policy and law related to data and AI, to support Ada’s mission to ensure data and AI work for people and society. 

The role

As UK Public Policy Lead you will deliver responsive policy research and engagement to influence law and policy related to data and AI, as part of Ada’s mission to ensure data and AI work for people and society. You’ll focus particularly on current policy development and debate around AI governance and the possibility of legislation that would support the UK’s regulatory framework for AI, as well as underlying regulation such as data protection. 

You will work with the Associate Director for Policy and the Ada senior leadership team to develop, define and refine Ada’s policy interventions, conduct responsive research, analysis and translation on key policy issues and lead Ada’s work on specific interventions in response to policy consultations, strategies and legislation. This will include identifying and managing partnerships and coalitions with civil society organisations, academic bodies, government agencies and industry around policy issues. You will also plan Ada’s UK policy strategy, and contribute to organisation-level strategy development. 

This role will chair regular policy strategy workshops and check-ins, comprising policy, public affairs and communications colleagues across Ada, and is also responsible for developing connected approaches and effective relationships these teams to mobilise our research and engage with policy makers. You will map, build and maintain relationships with key decision-makers in UK Government departments, key regulators and, where appropriate, political actors. 

This role sits at the intersection of policy research, public policy, law and regulation, and public affairs.  

In order to ensure that our work informs policy priorities, law and regulation of data and AI, we: 

• Intervene early and deeply: we are selective and focus on engagement early in policy development, which draws on extensive research, legal analysis or deliberation  

• Work in partnership: we develop relationships with decision-makers and sectoral partners to shape development and practice on the ground  

• Bring sociotechnical and public perspectives: we draw on multiple disciplines and perspectives to ensure the policy and regulatory development is informed by a range of evidence, approaches and affected groups.  

• Build tools and capacity: we acknowledge the novelty and challenge of evolving data and AI tools and support building critical understanding and shared approaches through briefings, tools and frameworks. 

About you 

You may have a background working in a policy or regulatory setting, or have extensive experience influencing policy and regulation. You know your way around the UK policy environment, have been following key pieces of policy and regulation evolving around data and AI, and enjoy getting up to speed on new technical debates. You are curious and passionate about the issues which arise at the intersection of technology and society, and committed to bring multidisciplinary, sociotechnical and public evidence to bear on policy making. You’re excited about the opportunity to work with some autonomy in a fast-paced and fast-growing organisation, taking a lead role to influence law and policy related to data and AI and taking part in developing and growing Ada.    

For further information about the role, please download the full job description (PDF).

About us 

The Ada Lovelace Institute is an independent research institute funded and incubated by the Nuffield Foundation since 2018. Our mission is to ensure data and artificial intelligence work for people and society. We do this by building evidence and fostering rigorous debate on how data and AI affect people and society.  We recognise the power asymmetries that exist in ethical and legal debates around the development of data-driven technologies and seek to level those asymmetries by convening diverse voices and creating a shared understanding of the ethical issues arising from data and AI. Finally, we seek to define and inform good practice in the design and deployment of AI technologies.   

The Institute has emerged as a leading independent voice on the ethical and societal impacts of data and AI. We have built relationships in the public, private and civil society sectors in the UK and internationally. Please find details of our work here. 

Our research takes an interconnected approach to issues such as power, social justice, distributional impact and climate change (read our strategy to find out more), and our team have a wide range of expertise that cuts across policy, technology, academia, industry, law and human rights.  We value diversity in background, skills, perspectives and life experiences. As part of the Nuffield Foundation, we are a small team with the practical support of an established organisation that cares for its employees.

Further information and how to apply 

The closing date for applications is 09:30am (BST) on 4th September 2024, with a first stage of interviews scheduled to take place on 17th September 2024. 

You will be required to complete some questions as part of this application process, and you are also required to upload an up-to-date copy of your CV. The Applied platform lets you save an application and resume it ahead of submitting before the application deadline. 

Should you need to make an application in a different format or require any adjustments as part of the application process, please get in touch with us: recruitment@nuffieldfoundation.org 

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:  

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer a guaranteed first stage interview for disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role.  

• making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc  

• paying for travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required  

Our benefits package includes:  

• Consideration of requests for part time and/or flexible working (eg compressed hours arrangements, job sharing etc)  

• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays (with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days).  

• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.  

• Life assurance scheme.  

• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.  

• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.  

• Frequent opportunities for learning and development (including options for coaching and mentoring) 

• Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders. 

• Staff peer groups and social networks.