Senior Researcher - AI International Strategy

Apply by Thursday, July 31.

If you have any issues applying, please email careers@iaps.ai.

Key Information

• Title: Senior Researcher (International Strategy)

• Salary: $111,000 - $220,000 USD annually (pre-tax)

• Location: remote (we are able to hire in most countries), with a preference for candidates who are based or would be willing to relocate to Washington, D.C., or the San Francisco Bay Area (visa sponsorship available)

• Job type: full-time preferred, permanent position

• Start date: as soon as possible, ideally between September and October. However, we welcome applications from candidates who may be available to start later in the year.

• Q&A webinar: Monday, July 21 at 9:30 AM PT. A sign-up link will be posted here soon. The webinar will be recorded and available on this application page following the event.

• Application deadline: Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the end of the day (23:59) Anywhere on Earth (UTC-12:00). This deadline also applies to other Researcher, Senior Researcher and Research Manager roles.

About IAPS

The Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) is a nonpartisan think tank that engages experts across the U.S., allied, and partner nations to deliver concrete, technically sound policy research. We believe that AI and AGI are poised to bring transformative change over the coming years, and want to play an active role in shaping its future. Our work involves:

• Conducting forward-looking policy research in areas including preparedness, information and supply chain security, and international coordination needed to navigate strategic competition with adversaries who may misuse AI.

• Cultivating policy talent — IAPS is forging a community of researchers and practitioners from across many policy areas and backgrounds to meet this critical moment.

• Providing relevant and timely insights to stakeholders across Congress, the executive branch, industry, academia, and civil society.

Follow these links to read more about our work and our team, and sign up to our newsletter.

About the Role

The Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) is hiring a Senior Researcher to play a central role conducting research and engaging policymakers in our International Strategy team. The Senior Researcher would work on topics such as U.S.-China competition on AI and geopolitical strategy around advanced AI systems, and contribute to our team’s engagement with institutions such as the US Center on AI Standards and Innovation, the UK AI Security Institute, the International Telecommunications Union, events such as the series of AI summits, including the upcoming summit in India, and many others.

We expect the most competitive applicants to have five or more years of experience in a related role, and an in-depth understanding of policy issues related to advanced AI. However, these are not hard requirements and our hiring process will test the relevant skills for the role – if you are interested but uncertain about whether you fulfill these requirements, please apply.

We are currently also hiring Researchers / Senior Researchers for our Compute Policy and Frontier Security teams (see our hiring page here). Please only fill in the Researcher / Senior Researcher application form once even if you are interested in multiple teams: the initial application form is the same for each, and will ask you which teams you are interested in. If you are unsure which team is the best fit, we will be happy to explore that with you during the hiring process.

Additionally, we are hiring for Senior Research Managers for our Frontier Security and Compute Policy teams (see our hiring page here). You are welcome to apply to both the Senior Researcher and Senior Research Manager positions. Please note that these require separate applications as the initial application questions differ. If you would also like to be considered for the Research Manager role, please make sure to submit a separate application. 

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Researcher, your responsibilities would include:

• Leading both deep research projects and rapid-response deliverables such as policy memos and responses to stakeholder requests.

• Identifying new research opportunities and prioritizing these in collaboration with your manager.

• Conducting outreach to relevant stakeholders (e.g. government agencies, AI companies) and thought partners (e.g. other think tanks, academics).

• Reviewing and advising IAPS research projects outside your own, including from other teams.

• Establishing IAPS as go-to, highly trusted experts for international AI policy issues. This would involve thought leadership, presenting in public forums such as conferences, proactive network building, and consistently delivering sound and well-researched advice to partners and stakeholders on request.

What We Are Looking For

Experience

Senior researchers are expected to have 5+ years of relevant experience in a research or policy role.

• Note that 5+ years is a minimum, and we have a wide salary band to compensate particularly senior candidates - we welcome applications from those with significantly more experience than this!

• “Relevant experience” refers to time spent in research or policy roles. We have a preference for roles involving foreign policy or international organizations, particularly in the context of AI or other emerging / strategic technologies.

• Years of experience is not the only criteria for the Senior Researcher role, and we may consider a candidate with 5+ years of relevant experience for the Researcher role if we believe their skillset and the level of relevance of their experience is a better fit for that level. Alternatively, if your skillset and experience are exceptional and fit our needs, we may consider you for a senior role with less than 5 years of relevant experience.

Skills and Competencies

Ability to write clearly and concisely for a range of audiences, particularly policymakers.

• Ability to find, read, critically assess, and apply research or policy from various disciplines to AI-specific contexts and concerns.

• Critical thinking skills and ability to generate novel solutions to policy problems.

• Interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.

• Ability to prioritize well and meet deadlines.

• Willingness and ability to conduct outreach with relevant stakeholders and experts, particularly with government and AI companies.

• Proactiveness, resourcefulness, and problem-solving ability.

It is a bonus if you have knowledge of policymaking in the People’s Republic of China, particularly in relation to emerging / strategic technologies, and / or if you are familiar with the AI ecosystem in China.

We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet all skills listed. We are open to hiring someone with substantial strengths in some areas but who need to develop their skills in others, and we invest heavily in our staff’s development.

What We Offer

Compensation

• Annual salary within the following ranges for a full-time position, prorated for part-time work: $111,000 - $220,000 USD (pre-tax)

• Compensation is not restricted to USD and will be paid in a candidate’s local currency after applying the appropriate exchange rate.

• The exact salary will be based on the candidate’s prior relevant experience and location (candidates in DC and SF will receive relatively higher salaries), according to IAPS’s salary algorithm.

Other Benefits

• Comprehensive global benefits package, including fully paid health insurance. 

• Generous paid time off (PTO) leave and unpaid leave, including:

• Unlimited vacation with a minimum 30 days off per year (incl. public local holidays, vacation time, and “mandated” 3-weeks total mid- and end-year organization-wide breaks).

• Unlimited (within reason) personal and sick leave.

• Parental leave - up to 6-9 months of a combination of paid and unpaid parental leave that can be taken prior to and/or during the first 2 years after a child’s birth or adoption. 

• Technology stipend of the equivalent of $2000 USD every 3 years that can be used to cover costs of purchasing work and office equipment.

• Annual team retreat and other opportunities for fully paid travel of generally 1-2 weeks per trip, including stipends to help cover the cost of dependent care while traveling. (Note: travel is never required)

• We encourage proactive professional development and offer learning opportunities, including conferences and workshops. We also encourage staff to set aside 10% of work time dedicated to professional and personal development.

Logistics and Additional Information

• Location: These roles are fully remote, and we are able to legally hire in most countries. However, candidates based in Washington D.C., San Francisco, or London can expect to receive a higher salary to reflect the added value of in-person stakeholder outreach in these locations of interest to our organization. In certain cases, we may be able to provide visa sponsorship to the US or UK and help candidates relocate. If you have questions about whether we can hire or provide visa sponsorship in another country and if this will influence your decision about applying, please contact careers@iaps.ai before submitting your application.

• Hours: We seek candidates who can commit to at least 20 hours per week. Please note that the salary is based on a 40-hour workweek and will be prorated accordingly.

• Travel: This role has a lot of opportunities for business travel. However, all travel is optional and travel is not required to take this position. Trips are fully paid and may involve visits to Washington DC, San Francisco, London, one team retreat annually, and relevant conferences.

• Extension requests: We will try to accommodate extension requests that are made before the deadline and are up to three (3) days. We generally cannot accommodate extension requests made on or after the application deadline, or are longer than 3 days, and cannot accept late submissions to ensure fairness to other applicants.

• Language: Please submit all of your application materials in English and note that we require professional level English proficiency.

• Accessibility: We’re committed to running an inclusive and accessible application process. We warmly invite you to reach out to careers@iaps.ai with any questions or accessibility requests.

• Hiring Emails: Please add careers@iaps.ai to your trusted contacts and/or check your 'spam', 'promotions' and ‘updates’ folders, if you don’t hear from us within the expected timeframe. We also encourage you to add Fillout domain (@fillout.com) as we collect job applications through Fillout’s platform.

Our Hiring Process

There are 4 evaluation stages for the Senior Researcher role: (1) application questions, (2) written task (3) interview and (4) reference checks. Occasionally, we may insert a brief additional step - such as a short  interview or a small task - to help us fairly assess candidates before the larger written task. If used, this step will take no more than an hour. We aim to complete assessments at each stage within two weeks and ensure every application receives a response.

To apply, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button below and select the position(s) and team(s) you wish to be considered for within the application form. We ask that you spend no more than two (2) hours preparing your responses to the prompts in the form.

Note Before Applying: Please do not include a cover letter, photograph, or headshot of yourself, or any personal information that is not relevant to the role for which you’re applying (including marital status, age, identity traits, etc.). Additionally, please do not ask our staff members involved in the hiring process to meet with you – to ensure fairness, we try to minimize these interactions, and requests for meetings with the hiring committee members during the process will be declined. 

Contact: Please email careers@iaps.ai if you have any questions.