Senior / technology advisor - #1768336

Please note that this advert will close at 00:01 on Thursday 3 July and therefore we advise getting your application in no later than midnight on Wednesday 2 July.

About Ofcom

Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day. We make sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.

Our culture is clear – we live by our values: Empowerment; Excellence; Collaboration; Agility and Respect. These define how we work to deliver our purpose, now and in the future. The behaviours which support these values set the path for a fully inclusive and innovative culture at Ofcom.

We focus not only on what we do, but how we do it. We pride ourselves on being an organisation of people who genuinely care about helping others.

About the team you’ll be part of

The Online Safety Technology team conducts research to build knowledge and understanding in subject areas fundamental to online safety. This includes, for example, AI and machine learning, digital identity, privacy enhancing technologies, decentralisation, user experience, gaming, network infrastructure, and digital forensics. The team provides technical expertise to policy, supervision and enforcement colleagues in the wider Online Safety Group, and others in Ofcom, during policy development processes and industry engagement activities.

The purpose and scope of the role

We are looking for a technically strong and strategically minded Senior AI/ML Technology Advisor to provide expert guidance on the technical aspects of artificial intelligence and machine learning as they relate to online safety.

The successful candidate will play a leading role within the Online Safety Technology team to help design and deliver a programme of work that will develop and share fundamental understanding of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies that underpin online services to help meet Ofcom's Online Safety objectives. This position is ideal for candidates with deep technical expertise and a passion for applying AI responsibly in complex socio-technical environments.

Your Key Responsibilities

Technical Advisory & Policy Support

• Provide expert guidance on AI/ML technologies to policy, supervision and enforcement teams.
• Advise on the technical feasibility and risks of proposed regulatory interventions.
• Translate complex AI concepts into actionable recommendations for senior leaders, policy experts, and external stakeholders.

AI/ML Research

• Independently lead AI/ML research projects—ranging from literature reviews of publishable standard to experimental studies — on new capabilities, system performance, safety, and effectiveness, often in collaboration with multidisciplinary internal teams (e.g., lawyers, economists, data scientists).
• Explore novel and emerging AI/ML techniques that may impact online safety, such as Generative AI, Agentic AI, or multimodal models.
• Design demos that illustrate advances in capabilities across AI models and convey the pace of progress in the field to help non-technical audiences understand how AI models function.
• Develop an evidence base to inform policy decisions and support regulatory innovation.

Evaluation of AI Systems

• Assess AI systems used in online services for accuracy, fairness, transparency, robustness, scalability, and societal impact.
• Evaluate models and tools to determine the technical feasibility and appropriateness for online trust and safety environments.
• Contribute to algorithmic audits and the development of standards for Responsible AI.

Technical Communication & Engagement

• Prepare and present technical briefings, white papers, and demos to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Host internal knowledge-sharing sessions and represent Ofcom in external technical working groups and conferences.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to influence regulatory thinking and promote responsible AI practices.

Horizon Scanning

• Monitor the AI research and technology landscape to identify emerging trends and anticipate regulatory challenges.
• Contribute thought leadership to ongoing debates around AI ethics, transparency, and accountability in online services.
• Maintain strong relationships with academia, industry, and public bodies to strengthen external research partnerships.

The skills, knowledge and experience you’ll need for success

To be successful in this role, you will be able to demonstrate:

• Practical and theoretical expertise in one or more AI/ML areas such as Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, Agentic AI, Multimodal Models, Generative AI, Responsible AI, and Algorithmic Auditing.
• Knowledge of assessment techniques to evaluate AI systems for effectiveness, scalability, fairness, safety, robustness, and societal impact.
• Familiarity with programming languages commonly used in AI/ML (e.g., Python) and relevant frameworks and tools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and produce documentation.
• Experience working in a technical advisory role, with a focus on AI/ML or online safety is desirable.

Other skills:

• Articulating Ideas: The ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences, including internal and external stakeholders, consumers, and policy areas.
• Harmonising work: The ability to work across organisational boundaries in multi-disciplinary project teams of policy professionals, technologists, data specialists and lawyers to understand requirements and their mapping to technical specifications and delivering business outcomes.
• Forming relationships: Strong interpersonal skills and evidence of an ability to interact effectively with, and influence, a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Scanning Horizons: The ability to take a strategic view by identifying emerging trends, risks, and opportunities, and aligning decisions and actions with long-term goals to inform effective policy and delivery outcomes.

Qualifications

• Educated to at least degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant engineering or science subject but candidates with evidence of equivalent demonstrable skills and experience in required specialist knowledge areas will also be considered.

At Ofcom we prioritise inclusive and diverse recruitment in order to truly reflect the society we represent.

Where positions are listed as full time, we remain open to reduced hours, part-time arrangements, job shares and other flexible working options from day one of employment. We warmly welcome applications from candidate returning to work after a break – for whatever reason.

As a disability confident employer, we offer interviews to any disabled applicant who meet essential criteria for advertised roles. Learn more about the scheme here.

If you need information in an alternative format or have specific preferences, please contact our recruitment team at **********@ofcom.org.uk or call 0330 912 1378.