Senior Officer ASD, AI and Democracy

The Alliance for Securing Democracy at GMF

The Alliance for Securing Democracy at GMF, a nonpartisan, transatlantic initiative, develops comprehensive strategies for government, the private sector, and civil society to defend against, deter, and raise the costs on autocratic efforts to undermine democracy and democratic institutions. ASD works to publicly document and expose these actors’ efforts to subvert democracy in the United States, in Europe, and around the world.

Job Summary:

Senior Officer – Technology and Geopolitics Team

As a core member of the Technology and Geopolitics Team within ASD at GMF, the Senior Officer will lead major research and manage hands-on projects in AI and democracy in domestic and international contexts. The Senior Officer will analyze the risks and opportunities for democracy posed by AI systems and design, manage, and execute projects to counter those risks, pioneering new technologies and governance frameworks for the competitiveness of allied democracies.

The Senior Officer will author, co-author, and manage the drafting of written reports and products on AI and democratic competitiveness, help drive the Team’s research agenda, and develop events, grant applications, and commentaries. The position will also create, deepen, and expand ASD’s Technology and Geopolitics Team’s AI-focused research and will track relevant technical and international policy developments in AI for analysis and reporting. The Senior Officer will build, cultivate, and manage networks of like-minded partner organizations to collaborate on research and public outreach.

The position requires engagement with policymakers, technologists, activists, media actors, and the public to raise awareness and increase understanding of the mechanisms and impacts of AI in American and European democracies and build the appropriate governance frameworks as core elements of domestic and foreign policy.

The Senior Officer will also build on ASD’s Technology and Geopolitics Team’s tools and policy reports to develop additional policy, technology, and legislative strategies for defending against AI threats to democracy and aligning allied democratic frameworks on AI. Working with the Team Lead and other relevant parts of ASD and GMF, the Senior Officer will be responsible for identifying fundraising prospects, maintaining relationships with donors, managing grants, and convening events.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Working independently, with ASD’s Technology and Geopolitics Team and across ASD’s team of experts, lead project implementation, conduct cutting-edge research, and publish analyses, reports, and articles on the implications of AI for the competition between autocracies and democracies and how democracies can bolster their competitiveness and values.
• Develop policy recommendations and legislative strategies for American and European audiences to: help democracies outcompete autocrats in advanced AI capabilities; build democratic values into key emerging technologies; defend against foreign and domestic efforts to undermine democracy; promote responsible AI and technology governance as a core objective of transatlantic domestic and foreign policy, and present and discuss these recommendations with policymakers, technologists, and other audiences.
• Manage ASD Tech and Geopolitics consultants, as assigned, and provide guidance and mentorship to ASD Tech and Geopolitics junior staff.
• Build and cultivate relationships with policymakers, relevant private sector actors, researchers, and civil society organizations across the Americas and Europe to strengthen collaboration on research, policy projects and analysis of responsible AI governance frameworks and democracy-affirming technologies and maximize the impact of the Team’s work.
• Represent ASD’s Technology and Geopolitics Team publicly at events and conferences to present research products and policy strategies.
• Manage grants and budgets, maintain relationships with existing and prospective donors, contribute to fundraising efforts including identifying opportunities for ASD’s Technology and Geopolitics Team, applying for grants, and developing proposals in coordination with the Team Lead and GMF’s Development team.
• Lead all aspects of content development, convenings (virtual and in-person), facilitation of meetings, and ongoing communications with peer cohorts.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities:

• Work independently, or closely with ASD’s other Fellows and analysts, to design, manage and evaluate projects.
• Lead efforts to organize and host events and convenings that further ASD Technology and Geopolitics Team’s research and policy objectives and build relationships with stakeholders across technology sectors in the Americas.
• Support the planning and execution of Team events and activities.
• Assist with strategic planning and growth of the Team.

Knowledge and Skills Needed:

• Minimum 8 years of prior work experience in a think tank, public sector, technology, or non-profit setting.
• Strong knowledge of the technical and/or policy dimensions of AI, democracy, and security issues, spanning the nonprofit, government, and/or private sector.
• Excellent writing, analytical, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct rigorous research and present information clearly and efficiently.
• Ability to handle multiple competing priorities and deadlines, and to operate both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong collaborator and mission-driven team player.
• Ability to develop and generate new program and research ideas on AI, democratic competitiveness, and national security.

We highly encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. GMF is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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