Research Technical Manager, AI Driven Cyber Security

Recruiter: Mark Thomas

Hiring Manager: Zhan Cui

Career Grade: D

Internal Closing Date: 03/08/2026

About the role

This role applies the latest AI-driven technologies to make BT's network more secure and resilient against attacks. The position contributes to BT's strategic goal of delivering the best secure network for UK customers by using emerging AI technology and programmable network capabilities to deliver adaptive network embedded security. The role shaper what the future secure network looks like and helps secure both BT and customer networks.

You will have opportunity to actively engage with colleagues to progress new research in important technical topics and supports the realisation of business value from research and innovation outputs.

The role is suited to someone who enjoys cutting-edge research and wants to work on genuinely exploratory problems rather than purely development-led tasks. The successful candidate will work closely with a small research team to turn ideas into practical prototype outputs, while contributing to a broader programme focused on transforming security-related capabilities through innovation.

This role can be based in Ipswich or Bristol or London, and our hybrid working model means you are expected to be in the office 3 days per week.

What you’ll be doing

In this role you will have the opportunity to work with emerging AI technology and the latest programmable network capabilities. You will have involvement in shaping the future of secure network design and strategy.

In addition, you will have the ability to publish research and file patents with financial incentives provided by BT.

• Proactive engagement with the relevant business units to downstream strategic technologies for commercial realisation.
• Domain expert responsible for maintaining expertise in a specific technical domain.
• Responsible for intellectual property creation, managing patent filing in their domain and supporting IPR exploitation where appropriate
• Accountable for defining and performing research in network security drawing in inspiration from biological immune systems to deliver high impact and high value across multiple domains.
• Responsible for authoring thought leadership technical papers, capturing intellectual property
• Supervision of professionals, graduates and post-graduate student placements and secondments
• Depending on business needs, may manage Research Specialists, Professionals or other Team members.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Research work experience in cybersecurity
• Experience in attacker malware behaviour modelling
• Demonstrated practical experience in how to apply AI machine learning to address real-world problems
• Working with key stakeholders: Line of business partners and vendor solutions teams

Desirable Skills / Experience

• Technical domain expert: Deep technical or domain expertise. They continually develop their expertise in a key technical area so are recognised as a technical expert in cybersecurity, especially, attackers and malware behaviour modelling; Demonstrated practical experience and substantial expertise in AI/ML applied research; Experience in software development and project management. They are also expected to have some knowledge of network architecture and protocols, ability to capture requirements from customer and stakeholders and translate them to tangible solutions to research for outcomes with focus on adaptive network embedded security.

• Qualifications: Strong academic record in technology specialism with post-graduate qualification(s) (preferably PhD or equivalent research experience).

• Expert communicator: Regularly presents to peers and managers about their research and area of technical expertise

• Experienced in open innovation: Skilled in patenting, technical publications, conference presentations etc.

• Storytelling with data: strong skills in building the case for change, drawing on data and analytical techniques where appropriate, and communicating this to business audiences

• Concept Evaluation: ability to spot relevant innovations, horizon scanning, determine relevance for the business, develop an effective conceptualisation and build trials to test the conceptExperience in translating innovation into customer and shareholder value through product and service development.

• Ability to drive downstream adoption of research outputs into products, services and operations.

• Proven experience in applied research, translating emerging technologies into practical, high-impact solutions.

• Strong understanding of technology trends across AI, cyber security, and network operations.

• Experience in driving cultural or organisational change (preferred).

Our Package

Tailored benefits make a real difference. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range to support your growth, wellbeing, and everyday life.

You can design the package to suit you and your lifestyle. Your core benefits include:

• 10% on target annual bonus
• Access to an online private GP 24/7 for you and your immediate family
• Market-leading paid carers leave with up to 2 weeks off
• Equalized maternity, paternity, and adoption leave – 18 weeks’ full pay and 8 weeks’ half pay
• Discounted EE and BT products, including mobile and broadband
• Market leading Pension scheme – 5% from you and 10% from us
• Holiday purchase scheme

BT Group is the UK’s leading communications group and the holding company behind some of the country’s most recognised brands – including BT, EE, Openreach and Plusnet. Our purpose is as simple as it is ambitious: we connect for good. Our customers include consumers, small, medium and large businesses, public sector organisations and other communications providers.

BT Group’s role is about setting direction, unlocking value and creating the conditions for our brands and businesses to thrive.

Having come through the most capital-intensive phase of our fibre investment, our focus now is on what comes next – simplifying how we operate, using technology and AI to work smarter, and organising ourselves to serve customers better and grow sustainably. Group teams shape strategy, policy, brand, capital allocation and transformation, helping the whole organisation perform at its best.

We have a singular culture that unites all our people: we are customer-first challengers, who are committed, clear and connected. These behaviours unite us as one team to deliver for our colleagues, our customers, our stakeholders and the country. Joining BT Group means working at the heart of a business that matters to the UK, with the opportunity to shape decisions, influence outcomes and help set the future course of one of the country’s most important companies.