VP, U.S. Policy

Cognition; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognition, based in Washington, is seeking an AI Policy Lead to engage with policymakers and shape the future of AI regulations. The role demands a strong understanding of U.S. government processes and the ability to communicate complex AI topics effectively.

Ideal candidates will have 5–10 years in public policy or national security, exceptional communication skills, and experience influencing stakeholders. This position is critical for ensuring responsible AI deployment while fostering innovation.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience in public policy, government affairs, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of U.S. government institutions and policymaking processes.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze emerging AI policies and regulations.
• Develop policy positions and briefing materials.
• Build relationships with policymakers and government agencies.

Skills

Strong judgment

Clear communication

Relationship-building

Intellectual curiosity

Job description

We are an applied AI lab building end-to-end software agents. We're the makers of Devin, the first AI software engineer, and Windsurf, the AI-native IDE. Together, they represent our vision for collaborative AI teammates that enable engineers to focus on more interesting problems and empower teams to strive for more ambitious goals. Our team is small and talent-dense. Among our founding team, we have world-class competitive programmers, former founders, and leaders from companies at the cutting edge of AI including Scale AI, Palantir, Cursor, Waymo, Tesla, Lunchclub, Modal, Google DeepMind, and Nuro. Building Devin is just the first step—our hardest challenges still lie ahead. If you’re excited to solve some of the world’s biggest problems and build AI that can reason on real-world tasks, apply to join us.

We are seeking an AI Policy Lead to help shape Cognition's engagement with policymakers, regulators, and government stakeholders as AI becomes increasingly important to economic competitiveness, national security, and public sector modernization.

You will serve as a bridge between technical innovation and public policy, helping policymakers understand the opportunities and implications of advanced AI systems while ensuring Cognition remains informed on evolving regulatory, legislative, and geopolitical developments.

This role sits at the intersection of technology, government, and strategy. You will work closely with company leadership, product teams, legal counsel, and external stakeholders to support responsible AI deployment and advance policies that promote innovation, security, and economic growth.

Core Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze emerging AI policy, regulatory, and legislative developments across the United States and key international markets
• Develop policy positions, briefing materials, white papers, and executive-level recommendations on issues related to artificial intelligence, national security, technology competitiveness, workforce transformation, and digital infrastructure
• Build and maintain relationships with policymakers, government agencies, think tanks, industry associations, and academic institutions
• Support executive engagement with Congress, the Executive Branch, regulators, and international government stakeholders
• Represent Cognition in policy discussions, industry working groups, conferences, and strategic forums
• Partner with technical teams to translate complex AI capabilities into clear, actionable policy narratives
• Identify opportunities for public-private partnerships that accelerate AI adoption across government and critical industries
• Help anticipate policy risks and opportunities that could impact company strategy, product development, or market expansion

What We Value

• Intellectual curiosity and a genuine interest in understanding frontier AI systems
• Strong judgment and the ability to navigate complex policy environments
• Clear communication across technical, business, and government audiences
• Relationship-building and long-term trust with stakeholders
• Pragmatism and a focus on outcomes rather than ideology
• Ownership mentality and willingness to operate independently
• Ability to balance innovation, competitiveness, and responsible governance

Requirements

• 5–10 years of experience in public policy, government affairs, national security, technology policy, congressional offices, federal agencies, think tanks, consulting, or related fields
• Strong understanding of U.S. government institutions, policymaking processes, and regulatory frameworks
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and navigate complex organizations
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Experience developing policy recommendations, briefing materials, or strategic analyses for senior decision-makers
• Ability to quickly understand technical concepts and communicate them effectively to non-technical audiences
• Interest in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and their implications for government and society

You Might Excel If You…

• Have worked in Congress, the White House, federal agencies, national security organizations, or leading policy institutions
• Are familiar with federal budgeting cycles
• Have experience with AI, cybersecurity, defense technology, cloud infrastructure, or emerging technology policy
• Have advised senior government officials, executives, or technology leaders
• Understand both the public and private sector perspectives on innovation and regulation
• Are passionate about ensuring the United States remains the global leader in AI development and deployment

Cognition is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities throughout the hiring process - please let us know if you need any.