Sovereign AI - Investment Partner
In January 2025, the Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan, placing artificial intelligence at the centre of the UK’s economic and national security strategy. The Sovereign AI Fund sits at the heart of this mission, with a clear mandate: to identify, back and scale the companies that will define the UK’s position in one of the most consequential technologies of our time.
Backed by up to £500 million, the Fund exists to turn ambition into action, supporting high-potential AI startups and scaleups to become national champions and strengthening the UK’s sovereign capability in frontier AI.
We are hiring Investment Partners to help deliver this. This is a role for individuals who want to operate at the centre of decision-making. You will find the most important opportunities, form a clear view on their potential, and act decisively to back them. The environment is fast-moving and often ambiguous, with a simple expectation: exercise sound judgment and deliver outcomes that matter.
What you’ll do
- Build a high-quality pipeline of AI companies by working deep in the ecosystem and earning access to the most important opportunities
- Lead investments end-to-end, from first engagement through to execution, forming conviction quickly and driving rigorous diligence
- Assess companies with a clear lens on both commercial potential and strategic importance, understanding where real advantage lies
- Work closely with founders post-investment, supporting them as they scale and helping them navigate opportunities across government and industry
- Help shape how the Fund operates, contributing to investment strategy, processes and standards as the organisation grows
This role is for individuals with a strong track record in investing or building within the AI ecosystem who want to apply their judgment in a more consequential setting. You have experience in venture capital, early stage investing or deep tech, and have played a meaningful role in investment decisions or company building. You can engage with technical detail and distinguish genuine innovation from hype without relying on consensus.
You move quickly, think clearly under uncertainty, and take ownership of decisions. Most importantly, you are motivated by the opportunity to apply your skills to something beyond financial return – shaping what the UK builds and where it leads in AI.
Why do this
AI will define the next era of economic growth and national capability. The question is not whether that future arrives, but who shapes it. This role is an opportunity to help ensure the UK is not simply a participant, but a leader.
What we offer
- Salary: £174,000
- Fixed-term contract (24 months) – please feel free to ask about this
- 28.97% pension contribution on top of salary
- Generous parental leave (up to 39 weeks full pay + option for additional unpaid time)
- 25 days annual leave + 1 additional day per year of service
- Hybrid working with flexibility for occasional remote work abroad
- Discounts and benefits for cycling to work, dental insurance, donations and retail/gyms
- You work well with others, are low ego, and are motivated by contributing to a team effort rather than owning decisions independently.
- Most importantly, you are driven by the opportunity to learn quickly and apply your skills to helping shape what the UK builds and where it leads in AI.
Why do this
AI will define the next era of economic growth and national capability. The question is not whether that future arrives, but who shapes it.
This role is an opportunity to learn at the frontier and working closely with experienced investors while developing the skills, judgment, and perspective needed to back the next generation of important companies.
You will contribute to ensuring the UK is not simply a participant, but a leader by supporting the companies, technologies, and capabilities that will underpin a more secure, more competitive, and more advantageous future for Britain.
What We Offer
Impact you couldn't have anywhere else
- Incredibly talented, mission-driven and supportive colleagues.
- Direct influence on how frontier AI is governed and deployed globally.
- Work with the Prime Minister’s AI Advisor and leading AI companies.
- Opportunity to shape the first & best-resourced public-interest research team focused on AI security.
Resources & access
- Pre-release access to multiple frontier models and ample compute.
- Extensive operational support so you can focus on research and ship quickly.
- Work with experts across national security, policy, AI research and adjacent sciences.
Growth & autonomy
- If you’re talented and driven, you’ll own important problems early.
- 5 days off and annual stipends for learning and development, and funding for conferences and external collaborations.
- Freedom to pursue research bets without product pressure.
- Opportunities to publish and collaborate externally.
Life & family*
- Modern central London office (cafes, food court, gym), or where applicable, option to work in similar government offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Salford or Bristol.
- Hybrid working, flexibility for occasional remote work abroad and stipends for work-from-home equipment.
- At least 25 days’ annual leave, 8 public holidays, extra team-wide breaks and 3 days off for volunteering.
- Generous paid parental leave (36 weeks of UK statutory leave shared between parents + 3 extra paid weeks + option for additional unpaid time).
- On top of your salary, we contribute 28.97% of your base salary to your pension.
- Discounts and benefits for cycling to work, donations and retail/gyms.
Eligibility
Not all staff working in a government department or accredited non-departmental public body are considered to be civil servants.
If any of the following statements apply to your circumstances then you should select ‘No’ when answering:
- You are a member of agency staff working in a government department
- You are employed by an external organisation contracted into government roles
- You are a self-employed contractor working in a government department
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
Interviews under the Disability Confident Scheme
We want to encourage disabled people to apply for jobs and give them an opportunity to show their skills, talent and abilities at the interview stage. The Civil Service runs a Disability Confident Scheme, offering an interview (opens in a new window) to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.
To be considered for an interview under this scheme you must have:
- a physical or mental impairment, or a long term health condition which has a substantial and long term (over 12 months) adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities
- demonstrated in your application and testing stages that you meet the minimum job criteria as set out in the advert or person specification for the post
Reasonable adjustments
We want to support you if you need an adjustment in the recruitment process, even if you do not feel you qualify for the Disability Confident Scheme.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, diabetes, or schizophrenia.
Some of the adjustments we have offered are:
- application or interview help
- a time of day that works for you
- extra time
- sign language interpretation
- advice about assistive technology
For more information, you can read the government guidance on Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions (opens in a new window)
Declaration
- All the information I've given in my application form is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and relates to my own experiences
- This is my only application for this role and accurately reflects my suitability
- I understand a check against the National Collection of Criminal Records and against other records or databases may be undertaken if I'm offered a position
- I understand that I’ll be asked for evidence of identification if I’m offered a post
- I understand my application may be rejected or I may be subject to disciplinary action if I've given false information or withheld relevant details
- I understand my application may be rejected or I may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
If you have any concerns about what we will do with your information, please see our privacy notice (opens in a new window).
Additional Information
Use of AI in Applications
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Internal Fraud Database
The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented. For more information please see - Internal Fraud Register.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and get baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) clearance before they can be appointed. Additionally, there is a strong preference for eligibility for counter-terrorist check (CTC) clearance. Some roles may require higher levels of clearance, and we will state this by exception in the job advertisement. See our vetting charter here.Near miss candidates
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in AISI which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.Nationality requirements
We may be able to offer roles to applicant from any nationality or background. As such we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet the standard nationality requirements (opens in a new window).
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