AI Security Researcher - Remote & Impactful Innovator

RAND; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 132,000 - 339,000; Full time

Job summary

RAND’s Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) seeks researchers to advance AI safety foundations. You will explore topics spanning theory, cryptography, formal methods, ML systems, and security, reporting results to technical and policy audiences.

The role emphasizes independent judgment and leadership across problem formulation, methods, and publication. The position is a three-year appointment with renewal options, offering opportunities to continue research in RAND’s ecosystem and

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent, original technical research.
• Deep expertise in at least one area such as theoretical computer science, cryptography, formal methods, programming languages, computer security, systems, computer architecture, or machine learning systems.
• Ability to identify and formulate important research problems, showing creativity and initiative in the conception and execution of projects.
• Strong programming or systems-building ability in languages such as Python, Rust, Go, C/C++, or equivalent tools appropriate to the candidate's research area.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex research projects from conception through completion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, geographically distributed environment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct original research on technically challenging AI safety problems.
• Lead projects from problem formulation through analysis, implementation, experimentation, and publication.
• Communicate results through peer-reviewed publications, reports, and policy-facing products.

Skills

Independent research

CS areas expertise

Project leadership

Programming in Python/Rust/Go/C++

Communication skills

Distributed teamwork

Education

PhD in CS/EE/math/related

Cross-disciplinary CS expertise

Formal methods / verification / cryptography

Systems security / hardware security

ML systems / distributed training

Job description

RAND’s Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) seeks researchers to advance AI safety foundations. You will explore topics spanning theory, cryptography, formal methods, ML systems, and security, reporting results to technical and policy audiences.

The role emphasizes independent judgment and leadership across problem formulation, methods, and publication. The position is a three-year appointment with renewal options, offering opportunities to continue research in RAND’s ecosystem and