Senior Director for National Security

Security Level 5; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Security Level 5 is building the first datacenter to defend frontier AI labs against nation-state level threats. This role focuses on growing USG/NatSec partnerships, drafting whitepapers, and advising on SL5 strategy from Washington, DC.

You’ll travel to DC or live there to meet partners, engage with USG and IC institutions, and contribute to a world-class security-infrastructure project with substantial impact on national security.

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal policy and technical communication skills.
• Extensive network in DC NatSec and USG agencies.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate USG and NatSec partnerships and networks.
• Create whitepapers and advise on USG partner needs.
• Travel to DC or reside there to meet partners in person.
• Coordinate conferences and workshops linking Bay Area and DC SL5 experts.
• Advise on SL5 strategy and communications.
• Assist CEO during briefing trips to DC.

Skills

Policy communication

Technical communication

USG relations

NatSec networking

Job description

About Security Level 5

Security Level 5 is a Bay Area AI security nonprofit working with AI labs and US intelligence agencies to defend frontier models from priority nation-state-level threats. We move fast, and we're tripling headcount this year.

The Mission

We're hiring for what's plausibly the most difficult, urgent, and interesting challenge in AI security engineering this decade (for humans, at least): designing and building the first datacenter purpose-built to Security Level 5, the standard for defending frontier AI labs against attackers with the resources of a nation-state and billion-dollar budgets. We're working on the first SL5 components this year and aiming for an at-scale SL5 datacenter build in 2027.

We wrote the first version of the standard with input from CISOs and senior security staff at the frontier labs, and US security and intelligence officials. Now we're designing the SL5 architectures purpose-built for frontier AI workloads, and standing up the reference tech stack to guide labs' buildouts. This stack has to hold against nation-states, not destroy researchers' productivity, not cost more than labs can pay, and ship in 2-3 years.

What you’d work on

• Tending to and growing our USG and NatSec Partnerships & Network
• Creating custom whitepapers for USG partners & consulting on their specific needs
• Regular trips to DC / or living in DC to meet partners in person
• Running custom conference and workshops to educate & engage particular USG specialist groups, and facilitate a connection between Bay Area and DC SL5 Experts
• Advise on SL5 team’s overall strategy & communications
• Assist the CEO during on technical briefing trips to DC

You’d be a fit if you

• Have a large pre-existing network of earned-trust relationships in DC especially among current NatSec community, WH, House & Senate Armed Forces / Select
• Committee on Intelligence
• Have a strong understanding of the defacto processes, staffing and structure of key USG & IC institutions, including Government Procurement Processes
• Excellent written and verbal policy and technical communication skills
• Have a bipartisan/neutral affiliation
• Have an interest in or prior knowledge of Datacenter Security, basics of AI / ML, government Standards around Datacenter Security

Bonus

• Possess an active TS or above clearance

Logistics

Washington, DC, in-person preferred or regular travel required. This role's base salary range is $180,000 - $280,000 USD per year. We may be open to paying exceptional and/or highly experienced employees more than this. We also provide full benefits, including healthcare, dental, vision, 401k match, and more.