Executive Director - Youth AI Safety Institute

Common Sense Media•San Francisco, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families, is launching the Youth AI Safety Institute in May 2026. This institute will be the first independent AI safety lab focused exclusively on children. It will establish youth AI safety standards, build open-source evaluations, independently test consumer AI products, and publish results for public accountability. The Institute is funded by both philanthropic and industry sources but maintains full editorial independence. The Executive Director will be the founding leader of this institute, responsible for launching and scaling it into a trusted standard setter in the field. This role requires deep expertise in AI, strong leadership, and a commitment to protecting children in the AI era. The Executive Director will manage a significant operating budget, report to the CEO of Common Sense Media, and serve as a public face of the Institute. The ideal candidate will possess both deep technical fluency in AI and exceptional convening abilities to drive consensus on safety standards and hold industry accountable. They should be a confident relationship-builder, adept at making tough decisions, navigating conflicts of interest, and engaging with the Board with candor.

Requirements

An accomplished, recognized leader in AI, technology, or public policy who brings existing credibility, gravitas, and a strong professional network.
Deep, current fluency in AI—including large language models, evaluation methodologies, and AI safety frameworks— sufficient to engage as a peer with frontier AI labs.
Demonstrated success building or scaling a research, standards, or advocacy organization; proven ability to recruit senior talent and manage a growing team and vendor ecosystem.
Strong fundraising track record, including direct responsibility for closing major philanthropic commitments and managing multi-year funder relationships.
Exceptional public communication skills; experience as a credible spokesperson with media, policymakers, the AI industry, and broad audiences.
Comfortable making difficult calls, navigating conflicts of interest, and operating with transparency under scrutiny, including through credibility-testing events.
Experience managing significant operating budgets, vendor ecosystems, and organizational operations.
Builds trust and drives alignment across a complex, fragmented ecosystem of frontier AI companies, policymakers, researchers, funders, and civil society.
Influences without direct authority, securing industry commitment to youth AI safety standards through credibility, relationship depth, and persuasive communication—not mandate.
Sets ambitious, measurable goals and holds the Institute—and the industry—accountable to them.
Publishes findings with rigor and transparency even when outcomes are inconvenient for powerful stakeholders.
Makes hard calls on scope and cadence to reach milestones without sacrificing methodological integrity.
Manages a big-picture vision while translating it into concrete institutional priorities, operational plans, and funding strategies.
Anticipates how the AI landscape will evolve and positions the Institute as a proactive, agenda-setting force—not a reactive one—in the global conversation on youth AI safety.
Arrives with a reputation that opens doors at the highest levels—frontier AI labs, government bodies, major philanthropies, and global media.
Commands rooms and earns trust quickly, representing the Institute as a principled and authoritative voice in a space that is politically charged, technically complex, and deeply consequential for children.
Demonstrates genuine belief in the mission—not as a career stop, but as a calling.
Exercises sound judgment when navigating conflicts of interest, managing funder relationships, and making publication decisions that may invite pushback from industry or government.
Stays anchored to the Institute’s independence and public trust above all else.

Nice To Haves

Background in or engagement with children’s health, youth development, education, or digital well-being.
Experience with AI safety evaluation, red-teaming, adversarial testing, or benchmark development.
Understanding of child safety standards and AI governance across international markets; experience with global regulatory bodies.
Advanced degree (Ph.D., J.D., M.D., or equivalent) in computer science, public policy, public health, psychology, or a related discipline.

Responsibilities

Own the Institute’s multi-year strategy and make disciplined decisions on scope, cadence, and publication under sustained public and industry scrutiny.
Direct product testing, benchmarking, and research; oversee rigorous, reproducible AI safety standards and evaluation frameworks; publish findings—including uncomfortable ones—with full transparency.
Serve as a primary public face of the Institute; drive industry accountability and translate findings for broad audiences through media, campaigns, and global convenings.
Lead closing of major philanthropic commitments; manage multi-year fund structures, funder governance, and supporter relationships.
Recruit and retain exceptional staff; build a culture blending startup speed with standards-body rigor; manage vendors and make disciplined build-vs.-partner decisions.
Engage credibly at the highest levels with frontier AI labs, policymakers, and global regulatory bodies; drive consensus on and commitment to youth AI safety standards.
Manage the $20–25M annual budget; oversee external research partners and technical evaluators with rigor and accountability.
Engage Board of Directors and Advisors effectively; uphold conflict-of-interest protocols and editorial independence; maintain durable public trust.