Safety Policy Manager, Global Affairs

OpenAI•San Francisco, CA

3d•$171,000 - $280,000•Hybrid

About The Position

OpenAI is seeking a highly organized and skilled Policy Manager with exceptional writing, analytical, program management, and strategic thinking abilities to join our Global Affairs team, in the Policy Development and Operations team. The Policy Development and Operations team is responsible for identifying, tracking, and analyzing emerging legislative and regulatory proposals globally. They lead and coordinate the development of global public policy positions that are informed by legislative trends and OpenAI’s unique technical expertise, coordinate policy campaigns across regions, and integrate regional perspectives in order to represent Global Affairs in company-wide initiatives such as product launches. Reporting to the Head of Policy Development and Operations, you will play a central role in developing proactive policy positions by working closely with regional teams to analyze legislative and regulatory proposals and provide issue-area expertise. You will synthesize legislative trends and regional insights, apply cross-functional perspectives, and exercise policy judgement to clearly articulate key decisions, trade-offs, and areas of alignment or disagreement. This role will include a broad range of policy issues with a focus on AI Safety as one central part of your portfolio. You will also work closely with our safety systems, product, and product policy teams to understand OpenAI’s safeguards and translate that understanding into policy relevant insights, analysis, and proactive proposals. In addition, you will also contribute to the Global Affairs team’s broader thinking about what proactive safety policies to advance and advocate for and how to best position those policies to succeed around the globe. This is a deeply collaborative role that will leverage OpenAI’s existing strengths across the organization, including both policy and technical functions. You will collaborate with the rest of the Global Affairs regional and functional teams, as well as with representatives from legal, product policy, research, and safety systems. In particular, you will be responsible for working closely with our technical teams to ensure that their perspectives are reflected in our policy agenda and advocacy. OpenAI releases industry-leading research and tools. You will face new challenges as the impact of cutting edge generative AI technologies continues to be explored and as the needs of the organization evolve. The policy team is a fast-paced environment and flexibility is essential. You will be accountable for setting clear priorities and balancing tensions, including the cadence of this work — quicker than academic research, and more deliberate than the most rapid response policy projects — and the need to balance technical rigor with accessibility for a policy audience. This role may be based in San Francisco, CA, or Washington, D.C. and may require frequent travel to participate in meetings and events with key stakeholders. We offer relocation assistance to new employees.

Requirements

Exceptional writing, analytical, program management, and strategic thinking abilities.
Experience working at the intersection of technology, policy, and politics.
Translating complex socio-technical issues to diverse audiences, ideally with a focus on AI safety.
Understanding of AI safety issues spanning frontier risks including cyber, CBRN, and alignment issues, as well as consumer safety issues including AI’s use in high risk domains, algorithmic discrimination, and fraud.
Experience working on technology policy either in government or on a private sector policy or legal team.
Demonstrated ability to analyze and engage on complex regulatory and legislative proposals, including analyzing draft text, developing positions, and supporting negotiations.
Experience driving external policy initiatives such as thought leadership, white papers, and participation in industry coalitions that advance responsible technology development and policy positions.
Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
Experience briefing senior officials.
Ability to understand and communicate with both technical and policy specialists.
Ability to execute in fast and flexible environments through rapid cycles of analysis, decision, and action.
Sound judgment and outstanding personal integrity.
Genuine care and knowledge about the impact of technology on society.

Nice To Haves

Enjoy diving deep into technical details and then making and communicating connections across technology, policy, and politics.
Thrive in a fast-paced environment that requires you manage a diverse set of issues and complex stakeholders and to scale new organizations, processes, and functions quickly.
Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, especially across technical and policy teams, and are comfortable aligning a diverse range of internal and external partners.
Manage teams, people, and organizational growth effectively and with kindness.
Enjoy program management and are extremely organized and comfortable tracking a wide range of details and keeping a range of stakeholders on task.
Are passionate and about the promise of technology and the future of artificial intelligence and thoughtful about its potential risks.

Responsibilities

Identify, track, and analyze emerging legislative and regulatory proposals globally.
Lead and coordinate the development of global public policy positions informed by legislative trends and technical expertise.
Coordinate policy campaigns across regions.
Integrate regional perspectives to represent Global Affairs in company-wide initiatives like product launches.
Develop proactive policy positions by analyzing legislative and regulatory proposals and providing issue-area expertise.
Synthesize legislative trends and regional insights, apply cross-functional perspectives, and exercise policy judgment.
Clearly articulate key decisions, trade-offs, and areas of alignment or disagreement.
Focus on AI Safety as a central part of the portfolio.
Work closely with safety systems, product, and product policy teams to understand safeguards and translate them into policy insights, analysis, and proactive proposals.
Contribute to the Global Affairs team’s broader thinking on proactive safety policies to advance and advocate for.
Collaborate with Global Affairs regional and functional teams, legal, product policy, research, and safety systems.
Work closely with technical teams to ensure their perspectives are reflected in the policy agenda and advocacy.
Set clear priorities and balance tensions, including the cadence of work and the need to balance technical rigor with accessibility for a policy audience.