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AI security jobs UK: what the Budget's £600m package means for you
The UK is putting more than £600m into AI, with big money for AI security. Here's who's hiring, what it pays and how to get in.
By Julie Fixter, Client Partnership Consultant, Future Tech Jobs
Who's checking the AI's homework?
More and more, the answer is a UK team, and it's hiring.
AI security jobs in the UK just got a serious boost. Ahead of the Budget, the government set out an AI package that techUK puts at more than £600m. It includes an extra £120m for the AI Security Institute, a £100m AI Biosecurity Lab and £130m for AI-powered cyber defence. If you write Python, break systems for a living or know your way around frontier models, there's money behind this kind of work, and real jobs to apply for today.
What did the government announce for AI security?
HM Treasury set out the plan on 24 October, ahead of the Budget. Here are the security headlines, for anyone who likes their numbers neat:
£120m extra for the AI Security Institute (AISI), for testing, research and technical standards.
£165m National AI Biosecurity Initiative, including £100m for a new AI Biosecurity Lab, backed by up to £200m in AI model credits from OpenAI and Anthropic.
£60m National Cyber Shield using agentic AI, including a £25m challenge fund for UK AI and cyber security innovators.
£70m National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre, which will use AI to find cyber vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and the wider economy.
A new NCSC AI Cyber Security Centre of Excellence in Manchester, to train government cyber and AI experts.
The message is clear: the UK wants to be very good at keeping AI safe.
And somebody has to do that work.
Why this is good news for your career
Money like this turns into teams, tools and hiring plans.
It's landing on a market that's already busy. Accenture's Tech Talent Tracker, reported on 16 October, counted around 100,000 UK AI job ads over six months. That's up 51% on the six months before. Cyber security vacancies rose by nearly 20% over the same period.
AI security sits right where those two meet.
If you've ever wanted a job you can explain at a dinner party without anyone's eyes glazing over, "I test whether AI can be misused" is a pretty good opener.
Who's hiring for AI security jobs in the UK right now?
The AI Security Institute is the obvious place to start. It's part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Live roles on our board this week include:
Offensive Security Engineer, London. You'd attack AISI's own evaluation sandboxes and infrastructure, build agent-assisted red-teaming tools and confirm real issues with working exploits. Applications close on 15 November 2026.
Senior Software Engineer, Chem-Bio, London. You'd build the platforms, agent systems and evaluation frameworks the chemistry and biology researchers rely on, mostly in Python. AISI says you don't need a biology background for this one.
Expression of Interest, Cyber and Autonomous Systems Team. This team tests the cyber and autonomy capabilities of frontier AI models and builds cyber ranges and capture-the-flag style evaluations. It's open to cyber security experts and software engineers at every level.
Anthropic is also advertising its Fellows Program, AI Safety and Security on the board. It's a four-month, full-time research fellowship with a weekly stipend of £2,310, and you can work from London. The advert says the degree requirements for Anthropic's full-time roles don't apply here. It asks for a strong technical background and fluent Python, and you'll need the right to work in the UK, US or Canada, as fellows aren't sponsored for visas. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so check the advert for the current cohort dates.
How much do AI security jobs pay in the UK?
AISI publishes its pay bands, which makes life easier for all of us.
Its technical adverts say most offers fall between £65,000 and £145,000, made up of a base salary plus a technical allowance. The levels look like this:
Level 3: £65,000 to £75,000
Level 4: £85,000 to £95,000
Level 5: £105,000 to £115,000
Level 6: £125,000 to £135,000
Level 7: £145,000
There's also a 28.97% employer pension contribution on base salary.
That's not a typo.
Add at least 25 days' annual leave, five days of learning and development time and hybrid working, and it's a strong package for a public sector role.
What skills do AI security employers want?
The good news: this isn't a club for PhDs only.
Across the live AISI adverts, these come up again and again:
Strong Python. It's in almost every technical advert.
Offensive security experience, such as red teaming, penetration testing, vulnerability research or exploit development.
Cloud and infrastructure skills, with AWS, Kubernetes and sandbox or container work all mentioned.
Familiarity with modern AI tooling, such as LLM APIs, PyTorch and evaluation frameworks like Inspect, AISI's own open-source tool.
Clear communication. You'll need to get fixes made by teams you don't manage, which is a skill in itself.
Clearance depends on the role. AISI says most adverts need a criminal record check and BPSS clearance, and some need more. The Chem-Bio software role, for example, is open to UK nationals only and needs SC clearance, which AISI will sponsor. For technical roles generally, AISI says it can hire almost all nationalities and sponsor visas. Always check the individual advert.
The hiring process is refreshingly clear too. AISI describes a CV and short written statement, one or two skills assessments, then two to four interviews.
Skills open the door. Curiosity keeps you in the room.
What do candidates actually want from a move into AI security?
Here's what I believe about specialist hiring, and it applies to you as much as to employers.
In niche tech, the best people aren't scrolling job ads. They're choosing between offers. And they tend to choose the organisations they already know.
So get to know them first. Read what AISI publishes. Look at the tools it releases. Find out which teams do work that makes you lean in.
Then be honest about what you want from a move. The mission? The pay? Problems nobody has solved yet? The right role fits what you're really after, not just the shiniest title.
And notice how many of these AISI adverts are expressions of interest. That's an organisation telling you, in plain English, to put your hand up before the vacancy exists.
Don't wait for the vacancy. Be the name they already have.
How to get into AI security: a quick plan
Pick your door. Are you coming from security, software engineering or ML research? Each one leads to a different team.
Close one gap. Security folk can learn how LLMs and evaluation tools work. ML folk can learn the basics of threat modelling and red teaming.
Build something you can show. A small evaluation, a tool or a write-up of an AI safety or security project gives an interviewer something real to talk about.
Get on the radar early. Register an expression of interest, and set up a job alert for "AI security" so new roles find you first.
AI security jobs: frequently asked questions
What is an AI security job?
It's a role that tests, protects or controls AI systems. That covers red teaming frontier models, building evaluation tools, finding vulnerabilities in AI infrastructure and using AI to defend other systems.
Do I need a PhD to work in AI security?
Often not. The AISI and Anthropic adverts we've looked at ask for strong engineering or research skills and fluent Python rather than a specific degree. Publications help for research scientist roles, but they're usually listed as desirable.
How much does the AI Security Institute pay?
AISI's technical adverts say most offers fall between £65,000 and £145,000, split into base salary plus a technical allowance, with a 28.97% employer pension contribution on base.
Where are AI security jobs in the UK based?
AISI's main office is in central London. It says some roles may be based in other government offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Salford or Bristol. The government also plans a new NCSC AI Cyber Security Centre of Excellence in Manchester.
Can I move into AI security from cyber security?
Yes. AISI's Cyber and Autonomous Systems Team specifically invites cyber security experts, and its Offensive Security Engineer role asks for penetration testing and exploit development experience.
Find your next AI security role
Here's how to make sure you're in the running:
Set up a job alert for AI security, red teaming or AI safety
Upload your CV so specialist employers can find you
See every live role at the AI Security Institute and Anthropic
The best candidates have a choice. Make AI security one of yours.
Any questions about getting into the field, let me know!
About the author
Julie Fixter is a Client Partnership Consultant at Future Tech Jobs, helping employers and recruitment partners reach specialist talent across AI, quantum, robotics, semiconductors, space and the rest of the FTJ network. She spent seven years in sales at a UK software house before joining FTJ, and trained in psychodynamic counselling, which shapes how she thinks about what candidates actually want from a move. Based in Manchester. Connect with Julie on LinkedIn.
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