US/NatSec Specialist

Application deadline: We're considering applications on a rolling basis. It can take multiple weeks until we respond, even if you are a great fit.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We’re looking for a US/NatSec Specialist who will develop and own our engagement with the US administration and the broader Intelligence Community.

You will work with a range of diverse communities, including leading technical researchers, legal scholars, the international frontier AI safety and security community, and government officials, to inform the United States’ government's situational awareness and preparedness.

The ideal candidate believes in the importance of agile and adequate interventions spearheaded by government and enjoys developing ideas that bridge technical research and public policy to ensure a thriving future with advanced AI systems.  

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Relationship Building

• Proactively seek out and build foundational relationships with individuals, groups and organisations relevant to Apollo Research’s mission

• Manage pre-existing and new relationships with policymakers to generate opportunities for regular engagement and increase understanding of topics relevant to Apollo Research’s work Convene and brief diverse stakeholders, including through hosting or attending relevant policy events such as requested meetings, discussion panels, or workshops 

Policy Research

• Keep on top of and engage with relevant bills, governance discussions and policy proposals

• Work with colleagues to develop timely and accurate policy submissions, responses to requests for information, and policy memos 

• Eventually, develop and execute on your own strategic vision to ensure safe and secure AI development and deployment in accordance with Apollo Research’s mission and the organisation’s core priorities

Policy Communication and Engagement

• Communicate Apollo Research’s technical work to relevant audiences and decision makers

• Brief and support senior leadership ahead of exchanges and meetings with relevant audiences and decision makers

[Optional] Academic Research

• Contribute to other research streams, academic and policy writing in the Governance Team, where appropriate

• Conduct independent research and writing, where appropriate and desirable

• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience, at least 3 of which should have been spent in the U.S. intelligence community (e.g., National Security Agency, Department of State, Department of War)
• Have previously obtained security clearance (at minimum, confidential clearance)
• Have a robust and up to date understanding of decision-making across the intelligence community, the legislative and executive branches
• A trusted and reliable operator with a wide-reaching network across diverse communities
• A strong and accurate communicator who is skilled at breaking down complex topics into accessible and implementable proposals 
• Based in or willing to relocate to Washington DC
• Align with Apollo Research’s mission and values

• Are a detail-oriented writer with experience writing for a policy audience as well as for an academic audience
• Have demonstrated experience working on AI or AI-related topic areas 
• Have demonstrated experience conducting policy-relevant research and developing policy proposals
• Have demonstrated experience devising and leading successful policy and engagement campaigns
• Have management experience
• Hold a Masters degree or Ph.D in a related field

• Start Date: Target of 2-3 months after the first interview
• Time Allocation: Full-time
• Location: Washington D.C., with at least 25% of your time expected to be spent on travelling for relevant meetings, conferences and to work from our London office.

• USD 150,000 - 240,000/year,  commensurate with experience.
• Candidates with exceptional qualifications may be eligible for higher end of the range, such as those with more than a decade of experience in the intelligence community or those with validated and repeated experience drafting relevant legislation.
• Flexible work hours and schedule
• Unlimited vacation
• Unlimited sick leave
• Paid work trips, including staff retreats, business trips, and relevant conferences
• A yearly $1,000 (USD) professional development budget

ABOUT APOLLO RESEARCH

The rapid rise in AI capabilities offer tremendous opportunities, but also present significant risks.

At Apollo Research, we’re primarily concerned with risks from Loss of Control, i.e. risks coming from the model itself rather than e.g. humans misusing the AI. We’re particularly concerned with deceptive alignment / scheming, a phenomenon where a model appears to be aligned but is, in fact, misaligned and capable of evading human oversight.

We work on the detection of scheming (e.g., building evaluations), the science of scheming (e.g., model organisms), and scheming mitigations (e.g., anti-scheming and control). We closely work with multiple frontier AI companies, e.g. to test their models before deployment or collaborate on scheming mitigations.

At Apollo, we aim for a culture that emphasizes truth-seeking, being goal-oriented, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and being friendly and helpful. If you’re interested in more details about what it’s like working at Apollo, you can find more information here.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The current Governance Resilience team consists of Charlotte Stix, Matteo Pistillo, Annika Hallensleben, Alejandro Ortega and Daniel Polotajko.

You will mostly work with the Governance Resilience team, but you will sometimes collaborate with the Evaluation team to translate technical knowledge into concrete recommendations. You can find our full team here.

How to apply

Please complete the application form with your CV. Please feel free to share links to relevant work samples, where available. The provision of a cover letter is not necessary. About the interview process: Our multi-stage process includes a screening interview, a take-home test (approx. 2.5 hours), a technical interview, a team fit interview, and a final interview with Marius (CEO). The technical interviews will be closely related to tasks the candidate would do on the job. 

Equality Statement

Apollo Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Your Privacy and Fairness in Our Recruitment Process

We are committed to protecting your data, ensuring fairness, and adhering to workplace fairness principles in our recruitment process. To enhance hiring efficiency, we use AI-powered tools to assist with tasks such as resume screening. These tools are designed and deployed in compliance with internationally recognized AI governance frameworks. Your personal data is handled securely and transparently. We adopt a human-centred approach: all resumes are screened by a human and final hiring decisions are made by our team. If you have questions about how your data is processed or wish to report concerns about fairness, please contact us at [email protected].