AI Policy Researcher — National Security

Center for a New American Security; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 70,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Disability insurance

403(b) retirement

Transportation subsidies

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Center for a New American Security (CNAS) seeks an AI Policy Associate / AI Policy Researcher to help U.S. policymakers understand and manage risks from advanced AI systems.

You will work with a Senior Fellow, analyze technical AI topics, and develop briefings, memos, and in-depth reports to inform policy debates. You’ll explore areas such as cybersecurity, biosecurity, AI agents, and frontier models, contributing research and writing while working within CNAS’s AI Policy Lab and Technology &

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• 2–3 years of full-time relevant work experience for AI Policy Researcher level.
• Familiarity with advanced AI capabilities and risks (e.g., open-weight models, AI cybersecurity/life sciences).
• Excellent writing skills with strong self-editing and fact-checking.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Good judgment about data quality and sources.
• Legal right to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Conduct timely, technically rigorous AI risk research for U.S. policymakers.
• Track capabilities and risks of leading AI models, including open-weight releases and Chinese models.
• Translate research into tailored, actionable policy products (memos, briefings, reports).
• Identify new policy questions and opportunities for high-impact research.

Skills

Excellent writing skills

Organizational & time management

Data quality judgment

Legal work status (US)

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Technical/quantitative background

Computer science welcome

Job description

Center for a New American Security (CNAS) seeks an AI Policy Associate / AI Policy Researcher to help U.S. policymakers understand and manage risks from advanced AI systems.

You will work with a Senior Fellow, analyze technical AI topics, and develop briefings, memos, and in-depth reports to inform policy debates. You’ll explore areas such as cybersecurity, biosecurity, AI agents, and frontier models, contributing research and writing while working within CNAS’s AI Policy Lab and Technology &