Simon Institute for Longterm Governance is looking for a US AI Policy Specialist

Location: Geneva, Switzerland (remote possible)

Workload: Full-time

Start date: As soon as possible

Applications reviewed: Rolling

About SI

The Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) is a Geneva-based think tank working at the intersection of frontier AI governance and international diplomacy. Our namesake, Herbert Simon, is a Nobel laureate and Turing Award winner who pioneered work on bounded rationality, AI, and decision-making, and led exchanges between Western and Chinese researchers. Similarly, we analyze trends and ecosystems, convene experts, advise decision-makers, and build bridges between governments, companies, the multilateral system, and frontier tech experts.

In our 5 years of existence, we have put AI governance on the agenda at the UN, played a key role in launching the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, shaped multilateral AI governance from the OECD to UNDRR, and become a trusted adviser to key policy and industry stakeholders across China, Europe, and the US. As an impartial facilitator with technical expertise, we are now expanding our focus on frontier AI diplomacy to reduce the risk that advanced AI will further destabilize great-power relations. In doing so, we hope to contribute to technological progress that lastingly improves all people’s livelihoods.

The role

You will deepen SI’s understanding of and engagement with the US AI policy ecosystem – government, think tanks and industry. You will track domestic policy developments and political dynamics, build relationships with US stakeholders relevant to frontier AI diplomacy, and contribute to conversations where international coordination is at stake.

Concretely, we’re looking for an experienced policy generalist to:

• Analyze. Monitor US AI policy developments and political dynamics – technical, political, institutional – and produce concise internal briefs and, where appropriate, public-facing analysis.
• Engage. Build and maintain relationships in the US to contribute to domestic discussions across government, frontier AI companies, think tanks, and academia across a broad range of topics.
• Convene. Contribute to the design and delivery of SI’s dialogues, workshops, and convenings – from shaping agendas and framings to facilitating discussions and producing summaries – bringing US perspectives into the room.
• Collaborate. Work as part of a small, agile team; take initiative, share context proactively, and adapt as priorities evolve.

There is room to shape the exact mix of these responsibilities according to your skills and experience; during the application process we want to learn about the kind of work that would suit you best. The title, scope, and compensation are set during the offer stage – we’re open to hiring people with varying levels of experience and pay competitively.

What we look for

Essential:

• Expertise. Strong grasp of the political economy of AI in Washington DC and beyond.
• Judgment and discretion. Much of our work is confidential. You can navigate complex stakeholder relationships, anticipate reputational and operational risks, and have good instincts about what can and can’t be shared.
• Self-direction. You can identify what needs doing and do it. You don’t wait to be told what to do and are willing to take full responsibility for experiments.
• Clear communication. You write and speak in a clear, information-dense way, and adapt to audiences ranging from diplomats to ML researchers.
• Team play. You coordinate proactively, document and plan effectively, state your uncertainties and assumptions transparently, and give honest feedback because you care for other’s growth.
• Mission alignment. You care about transformative AI going well for humanity, across borders.
• Impact-driven. You are motivated by making a difference, and willing to update your plans if new evidence suggests something else would move the needle more.

Bonus:

• Time spent inside relevant institutions: US government, AI safety institute, frontier AI company, third-party evaluator, or similar
• A publishing record
• Mandarin proficiency
• Mediation, dialogue facilitation, or convening experience: designing agendas, framings, and formats that make hard conversations productive

Why SI

• Work that matters. You’d work on one of the most consequential challenges of our time, ensuring that transformative AI benefits humanity by rendering US conversations accessible to outsiders and complementing technical discussions with geopolitical reality checks.
• Systemic thinking. Our team engages seriously with hard problems. You’ll be surrounded by people who care about getting things right.
• Room to lead and grow. Your judgment will directly shape SI’s strategy and confidence-building agenda, and the right person will fundamentally influence the organization’s trajectory.
• We care. Competitive salary of CHF 100,000–140,000 depending on seniority (an equivalent remote package is available and for exceptional candidates the range changes), 7 weeks of annual leave, generous parental leave, professional development budget, and flexible home-office arrangements.

Location

SI maintains its HQ in Geneva and prioritizes local team clusters, but the position is open to remote candidates. SI employs international staff and has experience navigating permit processes but cannot guarantee visas for any jurisdiction.

How to apply

Our hiring process is designed to be transparent and respectful of your time:

1. Application: Submit your application via application form. We are hiring for several related roles – feel free to indicate any other SI openings that could fit you.
2. Screening call: Selected candidates will be invited to a 15–25 minute call with our hiring partner, Impact Ops.
3. Work test: An assignment of 3 hours with presentation.
4. Interview: Interview with your prospective manager.
5. Work trial: Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a 1-day in-person trial in Geneva.
6. References: We will ask for 2–3 references from people you have worked with.

SI will cover reasonable costs for the work test and the work trial.

There’s no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. If you’re on the fence about applying because you’re unsure whether you’re qualified, we’d encourage you to apply.

A note on our name

Herbert Simon (1916 – 2001) was a Nobel-winning economist & Turing Award recipient, best known for his work on complex decision-making, organizational behavior, and AI. His thinking on bounded rationality—the idea that actors act rationally only within the limits of their available computational power—heavily influenced our early research on policy making under uncertainty, while his insights on AI continue to be of relevance to our work today.

We thank Katherine, Barbara, and Peter Simon for having granted us the honor of naming the Institute for Longterm Governance after their father.

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