Researcher/Senior Researcher – AI Policy and Standards

Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS)
Location Remote
Application deadline 21 October 2024
Contract type Permanent
Hours Full-time
Salary Senior Researcher: $114,000 - $118,500 USD. Researcher: $82,500 – $100,500.
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The Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) is a think tank of aspiring wonks working to understand and navigate the transformative potential of advanced AI. The Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) is seeking two Researchers / Senior Researchers (level dependent on experience) to join our Policy and Standards team in exploring concrete interventions to secure the benefits and manage the risks of advanced AI systems.

Key roles and responsibilities

  • Producing detailed research reports such as our work on Coordinated Disclosure of Dual-Use Capabilities and Deployment Corrections.
  • Producing rapid-response deliverables including policy memos and responses to government requests, such as our memo “”Assuring Growth”” for the UK government and our response to the NIST RFI on Auditing, Evaluating, and Red-Teaming AI Systems.

All applicants will be expected to have expertise that could be applied to IAPS’ AI policy work.

Experience level:

  • Senior researchers are expected to have 5+ years of experience in a research or policy role, and be willing to mentor and uplift other researchers in the team.
  • Researchers are expected to have 2+ years of relevant professional or academic experience.

“Relevant experience” is intentionally broad and would include any amount of the following:

  • Time spent completing a postgraduate degree (e.g., Masters / PhD) in a STEM field, or in policy.
  • Any prior work in policy (such as in government, in academia, at another think tank / non-profit organization, and/or in industry), including policy work unrelated to technology.
  • Any work in the tech industry.
  • Any work in a related field such as cybersecurity, procurement, national security, safety evaluations in any industry, or risk management in any industry.
  • Technical or academic experience in a related field such as machine learning, antitrust law, or standard-setting
  • Relationship-building in relevant government agencies (particularly in the US or UK), or in leading AI companies.

Note that the above examples are just illustrative. This list is not comprehensive, and we are excited to explore relevant backgrounds we may not have considered. Please feel free to apply if your speciality is not listed.

That being said, IAPS operates collaboratively. Thus, in addition to relevant experience, we also want someone who can get outside their speciality and be comfortable engaging with a relative breadth of work.

Skills and Competencies

  • Excellent ability to write clearly and concisely for a range of audiences, particularly policymakers.
  • Excellent ability to find, read, critically assess, and apply research or policy from various disciplines to AI-specific contexts and concerns.
  • Good critical thinking skills and ability to generate novel solutions to policy and technical problems.
  • Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.
  • Good ability to prioritize well and meet deadlines.
  • Willingness and ability to conduct outreach with relevant stakeholders and experts, particularly in government and AI companies.
  • Proactiveness, resourcefulness, and problem-solving ability.

We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet all the requirements listed. We are open to hiring someone with strengths in some areas but lacking in others, adjusting the role around their strengths, and/or helping that person develop missing attributes.

Compensation Annual salary between the following ranges for a full-time position, prorated for part-time work:

  • Senior Researcher: $114,000 – $118,500 USD pre-tax. £88,122 – £91,529 GBP pre-tax. €101,573 – €105,582 EUR pre-tax.
  • Researcher: $82,500 – $100,500 USD pre-tax. £64,270 – £77,900 GBP pre-tax. €73,507 – €89,544 EUR pre-tax.

Compensation is not restricted to the currencies listed above. The exact salary will be based on the candidate’s prior relevant experience and corresponding title level and calculated using IAPS salary algorithm.

Other Benefits Comprehensive global benefits package, including fully paid health insurance. Generous paid time off (PTO) leave and:

  • Unlimited vacation with a minimum 30 days off per year (incl. public local holidays, vacation time, and “mandated” 3-weeks total mid- and end-year organization-wide breaks).
  • Unlimited (within reason) personal and sick leave.
  • Parental leave – up to 6-9 months of a combination of paid and unpaid parental leave that can be taken prior to and/or during the first 2 years after a child’s birth or adoption.
  • Technology stipend of the equivalent of $2000 USD every 3 years that can be used to cover costs of purchasing work and office equipment.
  • We encourage proactive professional development and offer learning opportunities, including conferences and workshops. We also encourage staff to set aside 10% of work time dedicated to professional and personal development.