Political Scientist / Policy Analyst – Senior Expert

POLITICAL SCIENTISTS / POLICY ANALYSTS – SENIOR EXPERT Industry: Artificial Intelligence | Public Policy | Political Science | Government Affairs Location: USA – Approved States Only Work Structure: Remote Employment Type: Short-Term Contract Engagement Duration: 9 Weeks Compensation: USD $52–$82/hour Availability: Minimum 4 hours/day, up to 40 hours/week, with at least 4 hours overlap with PST CLIENT OVERVIEW Our client is a leading global AI technology company focused on developing and improving advanced AI systems for real-world applications. The organisation works with subject-matter experts to strengthen AI capabilities in complex reasoning, specialised knowledge, research, and professional decision-making. As part of its AI training and evaluation initiatives, the company is engaging experienced policy and political science professionals to contribute expertise to the development, review, and evaluation of advanced policy-related scenarios and AI-generated outputs. ROLE OVERVIEW We are seeking experienced Political Scientists and Policy Analysts to support an advanced AI training and evaluation project. The role involves applying expertise in policy research, political analysis, regulatory impact assessment, stakeholder analysis, public administration, and evidence-based decision-making to develop and evaluate complex scenarios. The successful candidates will ensure that outputs are analytically rigorous, factually sound, well-reasoned, and practical for real-world policy and institutional contexts. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Policy & Political Scenario Development Develop complex and realistic policy and political scenarios for AI training and evaluation. Create tasks involving public policy, governance, political systems, regulatory decisions, and government affairs. Develop expert reference answers and structured evaluation criteria. Ensure scenarios reflect realistic policy challenges and decision-making environments. Policy Research & Analysis  Research and analyse public policies, political systems, government programmes, and regulatory developments. Evaluate evidence, data, and competing policy perspectives. Identify key political, economic, social, legal, and operational considerations. Assess the quality and reasoning behind policy recommendations and analyses. Regulatory Impact & Policy Evaluation  Assess the potential impact of proposed or existing policies and regulations. Evaluate economic, social, operational, and institutional implications. Analyse policy effectiveness, risks, trade-offs, and implementation challenges. Develop evidence-based recommendations for complex policy issues. Stakeholder & Political Analysis  Identify and assess relevant stakeholders, interests, incentives, and potential areas of conflict. Analyse competing perspectives and institutional priorities. Develop scenarios involving stakeholder engagement and policy decision-making. Evaluate whether recommendations appropriately consider relevant interests and evidence. AI Evaluation & Quality Assurance  Review AI-generated and expert-produced policy outputs for accuracy, relevance, and analytical quality. Apply established evaluation rubrics and grading frameworks. Identify factual inaccuracies, weak reasoning, unsupported conclusions, and gaps in analysis. Review and calibrate team members' outputs to maintain consistent quality standards. Complex Cases & Escalation  Identify ambiguous policy questions, complex political scenarios, and challenging analytical cases. Escalate genuine domain or rubric ambiguities to the Functional SME Lead. Participate in calibration and revision activities to improve task quality. Ensure deliverables meet project guidelines, quality benchmarks, and deadlines. REQUIREMENTS  5–15 years of professional experience in Policy Analysis, Political Science, Public Administration, Government Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, or a closely related field. Advanced degree such as MPP, MPA, PhD, or equivalent postgraduate qualification in Public Policy, Political Science, Economics, Public Administration, or a related discipline. Strong expertise in:  Policy research and analysis Regulatory impact analysis Political and institutional analysis Stakeholder analysis Public administration and governance Evidence-based policy development Government affairs Ability to analyse complex evidence and translate findings into clear, practical recommendations. Strong analytical reasoning, research, written communication, and attention to detail. Ability to work independently and incorporate feedback. Must be located in an approved U.S. state.  PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience in government, public policy consulting, regulatory affairs, think tanks, research institutions, international organisations, or public-sector advisory. Experience conducting policy assessments, impact studies, stakeholder analysis, or political research. Experience in AI evaluation, data annotation, content review, quality assurance, or a related analytical role. Experience creating policy assessments, case studies, research frameworks, or structured evaluation rubrics.