AI Policy Research Resident, Associate​/Specialist

Job Type

Term (Fixed Term)

RAND's Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) is seeking an AI Policy Research Resident, Associate / Specialist. In this role, you will significantly contribute to cutting‑edge research projects on frontier AI policy – conducting analysis, drafting written products, and owning significant project components.

CAST is a 75+ person center at the forefront of transformative AI and biotechnology policy and their implications for global competition and security. Our teams work on verification frameworks for international agreements on AI, creating AI data centers that are secure, unlocking energy for AI production, developing models for public‑private partnerships between frontier labs and government, and conducting AIxBio evaluations and mitigations, among other initiatives.

You will own significant research work streams and produce deliverables for senior policy audiences. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Own key research deliverables – including research design and methods, technical policy analysis, framework development, literature reviews, and stakeholder interviews – collaborating across multidisciplinary teams within CAST and RAND
• Contribute to rapid‑response analysis on short timelines
• Draft policy briefs, research memos, report content, and other written products for technical and senior policy audiences
• Present policy briefs and reports to technical and non‑technical audiences
• Monitor and assess U.S. and international AI policy, legal, and governance developments relevant to national and global security
• Help shape CAST's research agenda by identifying emerging policy questions, contributing to project scoping and design, and supporting client engagement

All research positions at RAND require excellent analytic skills; the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; the ability to work effectively as a member of a multi‑disciplinary team; and a strong commitment to RAND's core values of quality and objectivity.

• AI landscape context: demonstrated familiarity with AI capability trajectories, potentially transformative effects and catastrophic risks of these technologies
• AI policy understanding: demonstrated understanding of a wide range of policy and governance approaches to promote beneficial AI, mitigate associated risks, and promote US and allied leadership
• Strong analytical and writing skills: ability to structure analysis clearly, synthesize evidence from diverse sources, and produce concise, well‑argued written products for decision makers
• Policy pragmatism: ability to navigate tensions between competing priorities – safety, innovation, competitiveness, feasibility – and contribute to implementable options that account for real‑world constraints
• Mission‑driven and adaptable: thrives in fast‑moving and ambiguous environments, able to deliver quality work on short timelines and with limited supervision

• Policy‑relevant research or writing: published research, analysis, or commentary on AI or emerging technology policy
• U.S. government context: familiarity with U.S. government policy making processes or experience engaging policy audiences on technology or national security issues
• AI technical acumen: familiarity with how AI systems are built, deployed, and secured – including training methodologies, evaluation practices, and technical governance approaches
• Quantitative or legal analytical skills that complement the team's existing capabilities

RAND is hiring for this role at the Associate and Specialist level of experience.

A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required.

Relevant fields include:

• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Physics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• Engineering and Public Policy
• Engineering Physics
• Information Security
• Information Technology
• International Relations
• Law
• Machine Learning
• Mathematics
• National Security Policy
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Public Policy or Administration
• Security Studies
• Technology and Policy
• or similar