Senior Technologist or Senior Policy Researcher, AI Governance Lab

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is seeking a Senior Technologist or Senior Policy Researcher with demonstrated expertise on issues relating to the governance of artificial intelligence. This is a senior role within CDT’s AI Governance Lab, and will help shape and execute our agenda related to the responsible design, testing, monitoring and regulation of AI systems.

The Senior Technologist or Senior Policy Researcher will structure and lead original projects as well as contribute to writing and speaking publicly on issues that are core to current AI governance efforts in the public and private sectors. Example topics include: developing effective AI auditing ecosystems, evaluating and advancing transparency practices such as system cards and model disclosures, analyzing policy proposals related to general purpose and frontier AI and shaping positions that protect and advance civil liberties, evaluating risks from foundation models and their downstream applications, driving research on fairness and nondiscrimination in the context of general purpose AI tools, and supporting the development of recommendations around surveillance reform and national security oversight in the face of advanced AI adoption. We welcome applicants interested in both technical and sociotechnical approaches to AI risk assessment and mitigation, and applicants with either technical or policy research experience. The successful candidate’s portfolio will be shaped to reflect their expertise and interests, considering the needs of the broader team.

As a key part of CDT’s AI Governance Lab, this role will have the opportunity to shape cutting-edge efforts to establish norms and requirements for AI governance at a critical moment for the field. Recent developments—including rapid advances in foundation models and frontier AI systems, increasing AI deployment across sectors, and evolving regulatory frameworks—make this work particularly urgent.

CDT’s AI Governance Lab develops and promotes adoption of robust, technically-informed solutions for the effective regulation and governance of AI systems. We work by:

• Developing, analyzing, prototyping and amplifying best practices for AI governance.

• Advocating for the adoption of responsible AI governance solutions through multi-stakeholder initiatives, direct-to-company engagement, and technical standards development processes.

• Collaborating with CDT’s policy teams to advise policymakers on effective legislative and regulatory approaches to AI that protect civil rights and civil liberties at the federal and state level.

• Supporting civil rights organizations, consumer protection organizations and other public interest advocates engaging on AI issues by providing technical and operational expertise.

• Building bridges for the research community to better participate in and inform current policy debates, particularly around technical developments and their societal implications.

• Tracking trends in AI research, development, and adoption, and translating and communicating them to internal and external policy audiences.

• Grounding AI research and policy in the needs of impacted stakeholder groups and the use context.

The Senior Technologist or Senior Policy Researcher will help drive these activities, leading their own projects and initiatives while also serving as part of a fast-paced, collaborative team. Some examples of recent projects include articulating expectations for independent AI assessment, developing recommendations for privacy-supporting AI architectures, developing contextually grounded evaluations, conducting empirical research on AI documentation, and explaining foundation model safety concepts.

Depending on the evolving needs of the team and broader organization, this role may involve managing junior staff, researchers or fellows; details will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the candidate’s experience and background. This is a full-time role, but we are open to a term-limited fellowship for appropriate candidates.

About CDT

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that fights to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We champion policies, laws, and technical designs that empower people to use technology for good, while protecting against invasive, discriminatory, and exploitative uses. CDT was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and has operated a second office, in Brussels, since 2014.

CDT works to protect people’s rights across a range of technology uses and applications, with a strong focus on privacy and data governance (including specific projects on health privacy, education, worker privacy, and disability rights & tech), as well as projects on government surveillance, elections & democracy, civic technology, and free expression/platform governance. We are a leading voice on AI governance, considering both the frontier and use-case specific applications. We engage policymakers in the U.S. and the European Union, advocate for companies to adopt best practices, represent the public interest in multistakeholder processes and standards bodies, file amicus briefs in court, conduct original research, and raise public awareness about how technology design and governance impact our democracy and social inequality.

CDT is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and collaborates closely with its partner organization, CDT Europe, which is based in Brussels.

Desired Qualifications

• An advanced degree or commensurate practical experience in a relevant discipline such as computer science, information science, engineering, economics, public policy, or similar qualification and experience.

• Extensive demonstrated experience related to AI research, development, and/or governance. This might take the form of research experience on technical and/or sociotechnical aspects of AI, policy work on AI-related issues, and/or relevant industry or government experience in AI development or governance. We particularly value candidates with demonstrated ability to translate technical information (and related policy implications) to non-technical or non-expert audiences.

• Familiarity with the AI governance landscape, including current debates around AI system and foundation model evaluation, approaches to risk assessment and risk management, and emerging regulatory frameworks.

• Demonstrated interest and experience in the impacts of technology on democracy, civil rights, and civil liberties. Candidates with interest and experience in how AI systems may facilitate surveillance and other violations of civil liberties; national security applications of AI and attendant civil liberties impacts; civil rights and civil liberties considerations in approaches to governing frontier AI systems and applications; fairness and civil rights implications of AI systems; or effective approaches to third party auditing and evaluation of AI systems are particularly encouraged to apply.

• Excellent writing skills for communicating with technical, policy, and general audiences.

• Ability to serve as a representative and spokesperson for CDT in meetings with government officials, industry, and coalition partners, at public events, and with the press.

• Some research management experience is a plus.

Compensation and Location

The compensation for this position ranges from $105,000-$145,000. Compensation is determined on a tiered pay scale based on years of experience and the responsibilities of the role. Candidates may request guidance on where they would fall within the salary range prior to their first interview, or any time thereafter.

CDT provides a generous benefits package that includes 100% covered health care, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, life insurance, short-term & long-term disability insurance, a 403(b) retirement account (CDT contributes up to 6% of your salary following a year of employment), 13 company holidays, closed for the period between Christmas and New Years, paid vacation (15 days per year, increased with tenure), sick days, and parental leave.

This position is based in CDT’s Washington, D.C. office, which operates on a hybrid schedule with three days in-office per week (generally Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday). A different hybrid schedule may be considered in exceptional cases, and is available if needed as a disability accommodation. We may also consider exceptional candidates based outside of Washington, D.C.

To Apply

Please send a full CV, a relevant writing sample (article, report, published paper or similar work) and a cover letter, describing your interest in the position and your experience/qualifications for such work, by clicking the "apply for this position" button below. The cover letter should also highlight any relevant experience developing, analyzing, and/or implementing practical guidance for responsible AI system development and deployment. These materials should be compiled into one PDF or document for submission. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact hr@cdt.org.