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About Open Philanthropy
Open Philanthropy is a philanthropic funder and advisor. Our mission is to help others as much as we can with the resources available to us. We stress openness to many possibilities and have chosen our focus areas based on importance, neglectedness, and tractability.
Our current giving areas are split across Global Catastrophic Risks (potential risks from advanced artificial intelligence, biosecurity and pandemic preparedness) and Global Health and Wellbeing (e.g., scientific research, global public health policy, and farm animal welfare, among others). In 2023, we recommended just under $800 million to high-impact causes, and we’ve recommended over $3 billion in grants since our formation.
We’re at a critical juncture in our organization’s growth, and our work has been garnering more attention in policy circles. We believe that building dedicated government relations capacity under experienced leadership will greatly enhance the impact of our grantmaking and help to ensure that key decision-makers understand our work.
About the Role
Open Philanthropy is seeking an experienced leader to build and lead our engagement with policymakers and help shape how Open Philanthropy is understood in DC. The Director of Government Relations will develop our government relations strategy while fostering relationships with key decision-makers who shape policy around artificial intelligence, biosecurity, innovation, and global aid.
Day-to-day, this person will serve as Open Philanthropy’s ambassador in DC. They will proactively shape Open Philanthropy’s profile in DC and serve as a point of contact for policymakers and others trying to understand the organization better. This will involve building and maintaining relationships with key Congressional offices, executive branch agencies, members of the media, and policy organizations. This person will also provide strategic guidance and practical support to our program staff as they try to advance policy objectives around advanced AI, pandemic prevention, global aid policy, innovation policy, global public health policy, land use reform, and other focus areas.
This is a founding leadership role with significant opportunity to shape Open Philanthropy’s government relations function, including the potential to develop and lead a multi-person team as our organization grows. A successful candidate will help Open Philanthropy leadership identify feasible priorities and manage resources and relationships so that we can achieve maximum impact in DC.
This role will work closely with Open Philanthropy’s leadership team as well as program officers across our focus areas, serving as a key bridge between Open Philanthropy and the policy community.
Key responsibilities
- Serve as Open Philanthropy’s ambassador in DC, helping to strengthen our reputation and credibility
- Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders across Congress, executive branch agencies, the media, and the policy community
- Represent Open Philanthropy at policy events and in key discussions
- Work with our Director of Communications to develop clear, compelling ways to explain our work
- Develop and manage high-value relationships
- Identify and cultivate strategic connections between program teams, grantees, and policymakers across both our Global Health and Wellbeing and Global Catastrophic Risks portfolios
- Manage relationships with external consultants and advisors as needed
- Support senior leadership in high-level policy engagements, including preparing briefing materials and managing follow-up
- Serve as a trusted source of guidance for Open Philanthropy staff
- Help program teams influence policy effectively through their grantmaking
- Provide strategic counsel on policy developments and opportunities
- Track and analyze relevant policy discussions that could impact our work
Who might be a good fit
You might be a good fit for this work if you:
- Have strong relationships across the Washington policy landscape
- Have significant leadership experience in policymaking, e.g., previously serving as a Chief of Staff to a Member of Congress or senior administration official (especially with a focus on legislative affairs or interagency initiatives), or a comparable role
- Bring deep understanding of how Washington works, with established relationships across the policy world, including experience working closely with policymakers in both parties on major policy or legislative initiatives
- Combine policy expertise with a commitment to impact
- Have expertise or deep interest in one or more of our largest policy-oriented focus areas: artificial intelligence, biosecurity, innovation, or global aid
- Are excited about Open Philanthropy’s mission and evidence-based approach to doing good across a wide variety of areas
- Are able to quickly grasp and communicate complex technical and policy concepts
- Excel at relationship-building and high-stakes decision-making
- Possess exceptional interpersonal skills and communicate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders
- Excel at working autonomously while fostering strong collaborative relationships across teams; are able to build trust quickly and serve as a respected advisor to senior leadership
- Are responsive and flexible, recognizing that policy engagement sometimes requires availability outside standard working hours
- Exercise excellent judgment in managing sensitive relationships and information
The ideal candidate for this position will possess many of the skills and experiences described above. If you are on the fence about applying because you are unsure whether you are qualified, we would strongly encourage you to apply.
Role details and benefits
Compensation: The base compensation for this role is $303,206.25, which would be distributed as base salary of $280,206.25 and an unconditional 401(k) grant of $23,000 for U.S. hires, but compensation could be materially higher for candidates with especially relevant senior experience.
Time zones and location: This role is based in Washington, DC, where the successful candidate will need to maintain a strong presence to effectively build and manage relationships. We may offer flexible work arrangements for exceptional candidates.
- We are happy to consider sponsoring U.S. work authorization. However, we don’t control who is and isn’t eligible for a visa and can’t guarantee visa approval
- We’ll support relocation costs for candidates not already based in DC
Budget and resources: We recognize that effective policy work requires investment in relationship-building. We expect to collaborate on developing a budget to support this vision through strategic activities, including events, dinners, lobbying, and other targeted initiatives.
Benefits:
Our benefits package includes:
- Excellent health insurance (we cover 100% of premiums within the U.S. for you and any eligible dependents) and an employer-funded Health Reimbursement Arrangement for certain other personal health expenses
- Dental, vision, and life insurance for you and your family
- Four weeks of PTO recommended per year
- Four months of fully paid family leave
- A generous and flexible expense policy — we encourage staff to expense the ergonomic equipment, software, and other services that they need to stay healthy and productive
Start date: We’d like a candidate to start as soon as possible after receiving an offer. Given the upcoming holiday period and ongoing transition in Washington, we are publishing this role early, but do not anticipate advancing candidates through the next stages of the hiring process until late January or early February. Final offers are expected to be extended in March 2025. If you require a decision before this timeline, please note this in your application, though earlier offers are unlikely.
Note: U.S.-based staff are typically employed by Open Philanthropy Project LLC, which is not a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. As such, this role is unlikely to be eligible for public service loan forgiveness programs.
We aim to employ people with many different experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who share our passion for accomplishing as much good as we can. We are committed to creating an environment where all employees have the opportunity to succeed, and we do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.
If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact jobs@openphilanthropy.org.