[CLOSED] Policy Advisor/Senior Policy Advisor – AI Governance and Policy

Open Philanthropy is seeking a Policy Advisor/Senior Policy Advisor on our AI Governance and Policy team to lead our US AI policy engagement and advocacy work.

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 include potential risks from advanced artificial intelligence, global health and development, scientific research, global public health policy, farm animal welfare, and biosecurity and pandemic preparedness. In 2024, we recommended $650 million to high-impact causes, and we’ve recommended over $3.9 billion in grants since our formation.

About the team

The AI Governance and Policy program works to improve society’s preparedness for transformative AI, particularly by mitigating global catastrophic risks. Our nine-person team aims to distribute over $150 million in grants annually over the coming years. You can read more about our priorities in our current Request for Proposals.

About the role

We’re seeking an experienced policy professional to lead our US AI policy engagement and advocacy work as a Policy Advisor/Senior Policy Advisor. You’ll play a key role in shaping how Open Philanthropy engages with US AI policy: you’ll develop and execute strategies to research and advance beneficial AI policies, build coalitions across the AI policy ecosystem, and direct strategic funding to high-impact initiatives. You will also provide strategic guidance and practical support to our AI Governance and Policy staff as they try to advance policy objectives. We expect you’ll direct $10M-$30M in funding during your first year, with the potential for additional funding if you identify promising large-scale opportunities. We are looking to substantially expand our US AI policy work in the coming years, and staff capacity is our primary constraint. No prior grantmaking experience is required. For senior candidates who excel in this role, there may be opportunities to build and lead a team focused on US AI policy engagement.

Key responsibilities 

This is a policy, strategy, and funding role, not a research position. You’ll likely spend most of your time:

  • Developing and executing strategies to research and advance beneficial AI policies. We expect our priorities to change, with your input, in response to the insights of our grantees and other researchers in the coming years as both AI technology and the political landscape continue to evolve, but your work might initially focus on the following high-level goals:
    • Increasing transparency around frontier AI systems’ capabilities and safety properties (possibly as in the proposals described here)
    • Establishing security standards and testing requirements for advanced AI systems (possibly as in the proposals here and here)
    • Building government capacity to monitor and respond to AI safety and security challenges (possibly as in the proposals here and here)
    • Supporting the development of international AI governance frameworks (possibly building on previous commitments, Track II dialogues, and proposals)
  • Representing Open Philanthropy in policy discussions and events; building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders across government, industry, civil society, and academia. (We do not expect this position to require registering as a lobbyist.)
  • Identifying and supporting promising policy initiatives through strategic funding and coalition building.
  • Serving as a trusted source of guidance for Open Philanthropy staff in the context of US AI policy, including by:
    • Tracking and analyzing relevant policy discussions and developments that could impact our work.
    • Providing strategic counsel on policy developments and opportunities to help the AI Governance and Policy team influence US AI policy effectively through their grantmaking.

This job description intentionally covers a range of potential outcomes in terms of scope and seniority. This reflects our willingness to shape the role and title around specific candidates. While we expect your work will include each of the activities above to some extent, the actual allocation of your time between strategy development, representing Open Philanthropy externally, and grantmaking will depend on how your specific interests and aptitudes fit within the team.

Who might be a good fit

While we don’t expect you to have all of these attributes, our ideal candidate would have many of the following traits:

  • A strong track record of driving US policy change at the federal level, with experience in at least one of the following:
    • The executive branch (particularly EOP, Commerce, Defense, or State).
    • Congress (particularly with a portfolio focused on commerce, science, technology, or national security).
    • Think tanks or advocacy organizations in a role that involved working closely with decision-makers in the government.
  • Deep understanding of federal policymaking processes and established relationships within the DC policy community, especially in areas relevant to AI policy.
  • Demonstrated ability to:
    • Work quickly, pragmatically, and creatively.
    • Make strategic pivots in response to a rapidly evolving policy landscape.
    • Build and maintain coalitions across government, industry, and/or civil society.
  • Strong communication skills, especially the ability to explain your views and reasoning and to work effectively with ideologically and culturally diverse partners.
  • Alignment with Open Philanthropy’s mission of helping others as much as we can with the resources available to us; comfort with the mindset of maximizing positive impact amid uncertainty.
  • Management experience, especially for the Senior Policy Advisor role.
  • Interest in and basic familiarity with AI policy issues, particularly regarding safety and governance of potentially transformative AI systems. (This is preferred but not required. Strong candidates might instead have experience in other technology policy areas, demonstrated interest in reducing global catastrophic risks, and/or a track record of quickly getting up to speed on new policy domains.)

We currently expect to offer the Policy Advisor role to applicants with 5–10 years of relevant work experience and the Senior Policy Advisor role to those with 10+ years of experience. However, we welcome applications from candidates with fewer years of experience who demonstrate exceptional strength in the other qualifications outlined above.

The ideal candidate for this position will possess many of the skills and experiences described above. However, there is no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. If you are on the fence about applying because you are unsure whether you are qualified, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Application process

Our application process will include a take-home work assignment and interviews, all of which will take place remotely. Please note that we cannot give feedback during the early stages of the process, including on any work tests, due to time constraints. Thank you for your understanding.

The initial application consists of a series of short questions on our application form. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the next stage, a written work test, which will then be followed by initial interviews, a final interview, and reference checks.

We expect to make an offer in March. If you need to hear back from us sooner (e.g., if you’re part of another hiring process with similar timelines), we strongly encourage you to reach out and let us know.

Role details and benefits

  • Location: Washington, D.C., with some travel required. We can sponsor work authorization for eligible candidates. (Open Philanthropy is headquartered in San Francisco, but we operate an office in D.C., and several team members are based in the area.)
  • Compensation: The starting compensation will be $186,861.39 for the Policy Advisor role or $228,056.98 per year for the Senior Policy Advisor role. This would include a base salary of $163,861.39 or $205,056.98 and an unconditional 401(k) grant of $23,000.
  • Start date: As soon as possible, but we can be flexible for the right candidate.
  • Reporting structure: Depending on seniority, you would report either to Luke Muehlhauser, who leads the AI Governance and Policy Program, or to Trevor Levin, who currently leads our US policy work. You would also work closely with our Director of Government Relations (for which we are separately hiring) and the rest of the AI Governance and Policy team.
  • 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.
    • A continual learning policy that encourages staff to spend time on professional development with related expenses covered.
    • Support for remote work — we’ll cover a remote workspace outside your home if you need one (but note that being based in the Washington D.C. area is a requirement for this role).

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 accommodation due to a disability or have any other questions about applying, please contact jobs@openphilanthropy.org.

Please apply by 11.59 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, February 9, 2025 to be considered.

US-based Program 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.