AI Policy Research Resident, Associate / Specialist

RAND Corporation; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybride; USD 111 000 - 183 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Paid time off

Résumé du poste

RAND Corporation's Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) seeks an AI Policy Research Resident, Associate / Specialist to advance frontier AI policy research. You will conduct analysis, draft written products, and own substantial project components within CAST and RAND.

The role emphasizes rapid-response analysis, policy briefs for senior audiences, and monitoring AI policy developments worldwide, with a hybrid work arrangement and opportunities for client engagement.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated familiarity with AI capability trajectories and risks.
• Understanding of policy and governance approaches to promote beneficial AI and leadership.
• Ability to structure analysis, synthesize evidence, and produce concise written products for decision-makers.
• Ability to navigate tensions between safety, innovation, competitiveness, feasibility.
• Thrives in fast-moving, ambiguous environments with limited supervision.

Responsabilités

• Own key research deliverables including research design, methods, and literature reviews.
• Contribute to rapid-response analyses on short timelines.
• Draft policy briefs, memos, and reports for technical and senior audiences.
• Present briefs and reports to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Monitor U.S. and international AI policy developments relevant to security.
• Shape CAST's research agenda and support client engagements.

Connaissances

AI landscape context

AI policy understanding

Strong analytical and writing skills

Policy pragmatism

Mission-driven and adaptable

Formation

PhD in relevant field

Master's degree with 3+ years of experience

Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of experience

Description du poste

AI Policy Research Resident, Associate / Specialist

RAND's Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) is seeking an AI Policy Research Resident, Associate / Specialist. In this role, you will significantly contribute to cutting-edge research projects on frontier AI policy - conducting analysis, drafting written products, and owning significant project components.

About CAST

CAST is a 75+ person center at the forefront of transformative AI and biotechnology policy and their implications for global competition and security. Our teams work on verification frameworks for international agreements on AI, creating AI data centers that are secure, unlocking energy for AI production, developing models for public-private partnerships between frontier labs and government, and conducting AIxBio evaluations and mitigations, among other initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Own key research deliverables - including research design and methods, technical policy analysis, framework development, literature reviews, and stakeholder interviews - collaborating across multidisciplinary teams within CAST and RAND
• Contribute to rapid-response analysis on short timelines
• Draft policy briefs, research memos, report content, and other written products for technical and senior policy audiences
• Present policy briefs and reports to technical and non-technical audiences
• Monitor and assess U.S. and international AI policy, legal, and governance developments relevant to national and global security
• Help shape CAST's research agenda by identifying emerging policy questions, contributing to project scoping and design, and supporting client engagement

Qualifications

All research positions at RAND require excellent analytic skills; the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; the ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team; and a strong commitment to RAND's core values of quality and objectivity.

Required

• AI landscape context: demonstrated familiarity with AI capability trajectories, potentially transformative effects and catastrophic risks of these technologies
• AI policy understanding: demonstrated understanding of a wide range of policy and governance approaches to promote beneficial AI, mitigate associated risks, and promote US and allied leadership
• Strong analytical and writing skills: ability to structure analysis clearly, synthesize evidence from diverse sources, and produce concise, well-argued written products for decisionmakers
• Policy pragmatism: ability to navigate tensions between competing priorities - safety, innovation, competitiveness, feasibility - and contribute to implementable options that account for real-world constraints
• Mission-driven and adaptable: thrives in fast-moving and ambiguous environments, able to deliver quality work on short timelines and with limited supervision

Preferred

• Policy-relevant research or writing: published research, analysis, or commentary on AI or emerging technology policy
• U.S. government context: familiarity with U.S. government policymaking processes or experience engaging policy audiences on technology or national security issues
• AI technical acumen: familiarity with how AI systems are built, deployed, and secured - including training methodologies, evaluation practices, and technical governance approaches
• Quantitative or legal analytical skills that complement the team's existing capabilities

Education and Experience Requirements

Minimum requirements for an Associate are:

A PhD in a relevant field.

OR

A Master's degree in the fields listed above with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience.

OR

A Bachelor's degree in the fields listed above with at least 5 years of relevant professional experience.

Minimum requirements for a Specialist are:

A PhD in the fields listed above with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience.

OR

A Master's degree in the fields listed above with at least 6 years of relevant professional experience.

OR

A Bachelor's degree in the fields listed above with at least 8 years of relevant professional experience.

Higher levels of education (e.g. PhD, JD, Master's) or experience are preferred.

Security Clearance

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance, which includes having U.S. citizenship, is preferred but not required.

Location

We are actively hiring for this position in Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; Boston, MA; Santa Monica, CA; and Pittsburgh, PA. Washington, DC is our preferred location for this role. We offer a hybrid work arrangement combining work from home and on-site options, and will also consider fully remote work within the U.S.

Term

This position is a 3-year term appointment with a possibility of renewal, alongside options for longer term employment. We are seeking full-time candidates.

Salary Range

$110,900 - $183,300

AI Policy Resident, Associate = $110,900 - $152,500

AI Policy Resident, Specialist = $126,400 - $183,300

RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate's work experience, education/training, skills, expertise; and internal equity. Successful candidates will be offered employment in a specific title, as determined by the candidate's education and experience. The salary range includes base pay plus RAND's sabbatic pay (which provides additional compensation above base pay when vacation is taken). In addition, RAND provides strong benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid time-off and more.

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