AI Alignment Foundation (AIAF)

Policy Director

Washington, DC
Full-time
$220,000-$350,000
Posted Nov 10, 2026

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Skills

Procurement

Job description

Policy Director

Get alignment science into the decisions that matter

The AI Alignment Foundation is looking for a Policy Director who can advance our goal of turning technical AI research insights into government action. You will work with researchers to help decide which opportunities to pursue, turn them into actionable policy ideas, and liaise with Congress and the executive branch to make them real - and in doing so, make progress on the most consequential issues of our time. 

We have more opportunities than our current team can fully pursue. Congressional staff already consult our team for technical input on AI testing and evaluation legislation and research, and we regularly engage AI and national security officials on alignment research and trustworthy deployment. You would help translate that momentum into concrete results.

We are looking for someone who knows how the U.S. government works, can identify key decision-makers, and can draft actionable policy proposals. The stakes are enormous. AI systems are becoming more capable and autonomous. We want them to remain trustworthy as they learn, adapt, and eventually help begin to improve themselves. Solving this requires breakthroughs in alignment science and public institutions capable of putting those breakthroughs to use. Getting that right could make extraordinary scientific progress and human flourishing possible. 

A scientific mission with a foothold in Washington

AIAF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incubated by AE Studio, that funds and accelerates technical AI alignment research. We support high-potential research ideas with the funding, engineering teams, compute, and infrastructure needed to develop them. We focus on alignment techniques that can endure as AI becomes more powerful and begins improving itself.

We’ve researched gradient routing and modular pretraining, which investigate how particular capabilities can be separated during training and selectively removed. We’ve also conducted research on AI self-modeling, self-interpretation, and the internal mechanisms behind self-correction and deception. To expand the impact of that work, we are looking for a policy leader that can help turn that evidence into detailed proposals on alignment research, AI evaluation, and AI deployment and procurement; and get those proposals in front of the people who can turn them into reality.

We aim to make alignment an essential part of America’s scientific and national security agenda. This would ensure both that AI acts in the ways we intend it to and unlock enormous benefits for American society.

What you’ll do

•Manage and execute AIAF’s federal policy strategy in consultation with our leadership, researchers, and partners.

•Translate technical evidence and findings into concrete legislative and policy recommendations, including legislative language or regulatory recommendations. 

•Build relationships with key congressional offices, executive branch agencies, civil society, and technical organizations; inform them about technical advancements; and make recommendations on how to advance alignment science through Federal action. 

•Organize consequential engagements in DC for AIAF principals and researchers, including setting up meetings, providing oral and written briefing materials, and coordinating with communications, legal, technical, and operational colleagues.

•Organize demo days, dinners, briefings, roundtables, and other events to elevate the profile of AIAF and alignment science with the DC policymaking ecosystem.

•Select and manage key policy vendors and partners, such as lobbying and advisory firms.

•Inform AIAF’s research agenda by communicating government’s hardest practical questions to researchers and identifying areas of research effort most likely to inform active policymaking efforts.

•Support building our policy team from the ground up and help open our DC office.

What we’re looking for

•Demonstrated experience (at least five years) in a policymaking role on Capitol Hill or in the executive branch, with a strong command of federal institutions and the processes that move policy.

•Deep, credible relationships in Congress and the executive branch, particularly with Appropriations and Armed Services staff or members.

•Experience leading policy initiatives and managing policy staff, consultants, or lobbyists, including organizing and supporting engagements for senior principals.

•Substantial understanding of emerging AI policy, regulation, and legislation, together with the ability to learn technical alignment research well enough to explain its implications accurately.

•Excellent writing, presentation, and interpersonal judgment. You can brief a principal, work through language with a staffer, and have a productive conversation with an engineer.

•A strong track record of working effectively across technical, communications, legal, and operations teams, with the organization and persistence to move from strategy to detailed execution.

•A serious commitment to advancing alignment science and the responsible development and deployment of powerful AI.

This role is based in Washington, DC. It may involve frequent travel for stakeholder meetings and events.

Compensation

This is a full-time employment role with an annual salary of $220,000-$350,000. For an exceptional candidate, we may consider compensation above this range.

We offer a platinum healthcare package with 99% of the premium covered, a 401(k) plan, and 15 days of paid vacation and personal time off.