Counsel, AI Safety & Cyber Incident Response

OpenAI•San Francisco, CA

2d•$252,000 - $280,000•Hybrid

About The Position

OpenAI’s Legal team addresses legal questions arising from developing and deploying advanced AI. The Security and Public Sector Legal team helps protect OpenAI’s technology, systems, data, and people and supports the safe and responsible use of its tools, working with technical and operational teams on novel and consequential issues. The Counsel, AI Safety & Cyber Incident Response will lead legal responses to cybersecurity and AI safety incidents. The role advises on cybersecurity incidents from discovery through resolution and helps develop responses to incidents involving model and tool safety, including unexpected model behavior, degradation of safeguards, harmful uses, and potential harm to third parties. It involves working with Security, Safety, Product, Engineering, and Legal colleagues to establish facts, assess risks, guide investigations, communications, remediation, and reporting, and turn incident lessons into durable response processes. The position is based in Washington, D.C. or San Francisco, California, with a hybrid work model requiring three days in the office per week. Relocation assistance is offered to new employees. The role requires availability for time-sensitive incident response, including occasional work outside normal business hours.

Requirements

JD and a license or qualification to practice law in the relevant jurisdiction.
At least 5 years of relevant experience.
Relevant legal experience managing cybersecurity or privacy incident responses, or comparable complex technology investigations, at a technology company, law firm, or government agency, including work with technical teams, other counsel, and communications partners.
Ability to translate technical findings into practical legal advice and a working understanding of technical information.
Sound judgment under time pressure, clear communication of uncertainty, and understanding of when to act, seek specialist advice, or escalate.
Clear, concise writing and ability to keep cross-functional teams aligned through changing facts and competing priorities.
Attention to detail and follow-through, paired with collaborative work across colleagues with different expertise.
Availability to participate in time-sensitive incident response, including occasional work outside normal business hours.

Nice To Haves

Direct AI incident experience is helpful.
Strong transferable incident response skills are welcome.
Strong interest in the novel challenges of AI safety and willingness to help develop new approaches.

Responsibilities

Serve as legal lead on assigned cybersecurity and AI safety incidents, coordinating fact development, legal analysis and advice, cross-functional escalation, and follow-through with response teams.
Work with investigators to understand incident scope, attack paths, root causes, affected systems and data, and potential third-party impacts, while distinguishing established facts from evidentiary gaps.
Manage outside counsel and third-party service provider engagements needed for incident response.
Serve as a key Legal point of contact for cross-functional teams.
Partner with Privacy, Product, Regulatory, and other counsel to assess notification and reporting obligations, advise on timely customer and user communications, and coordinate third-party outreach and incident-related information sharing with industry peers and government partners.
Prepare concise incident updates and decision materials that distinguish established facts, uncertainties, options, and recommended next steps.
Develop severity-based escalation criteria, response playbooks, exercises, and clear decision and handoff processes for cybersecurity and AI safety incidents, adapting established practices to emerging model risks.
Support post-incident reviews, track agreed corrective actions, and turn lessons into practical improvements to safeguards and response processes.