Research Lead, Policy Communications

This role leads mixed-methods research on how people understand and engage with complex AI policy issues. You will develop quantitative and qualitative studies, then turn the evidence into practical recommendations for policy, communications, product, and other teams.
* Permanent* Hybrid
* Senior### Skills and expertise

Mixed-methods research

Survey methods

Questionnaire design

Sampling and weighting

Statistical analysis

Qualitative interviews

Focus groups

Longitudinal research### Key responsibilities
* Build and manage research programs from study design through fieldwork, analysis, and reporting.
* Lead survey, longitudinal, interview, and focus-group research on policy communications.
* Translate findings into practical recommendations for policy, communications, product, and other partners.## How this job compares

Compared with 11 open lead research jobs on October 10, 2026.Pay:
This job pays $347K to $385K a year. The 5 open lead research jobs that publish US pay start at $282K on average, so this job starts about 23% higher.

Similar open jobs:
We Love AI Jobs lists 11 open lead research jobs at 9 companies.

Remote work:
This job is hybrid. 2 of the 11 lead research jobs (18%) are remote.

AI in this role:
Medium. The role uses AI tools and works with AI systems as a regular part of the job. The research program focuses on how people engage with AI policy issues and informs communications and product decisions. The posting does not describe hands-on model development or use of specific AI tools.## Full description

About the Team The Product Policy team develops and implements policies that shape how OpenAI’s technology is built and used. We work with teams across the company to turn complex questions about AI’s benefits and risks into practical guidance for responsible research, product development, and deployment.

About the Role As Research Lead, Policy Communications, you will build and lead a rigorous research program that helps OpenAI understand how people engage with complex AI policy issues. You will design qualitative and quantitative studies, develop durable research practices, and translate findings into clear recommendations for Policy, Communications, Product, and other partners. Your work will help teams communicate complex topics accurately, responsibly, and in ways that are useful to a broad range of audiences.

This role can be based in San Francisco or Remote. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

You’ll be responsible for:
• Build and manage a mixed-methods research program from initial questions through study design, fieldwork, analysis, reporting, and documentation. Establish high standards for quality, consistency, and responsible research practice.
• Design rigorous quantitative research, including surveys and longitudinal studies. Oversee questionnaire design, sampling, weighting, vendor quality, analysis, and clear communication of uncertainty and limitations.
• Lead qualitative research, including interviews and focus groups, to understand how people interpret complex policy topics. Use these insights to improve the clarity, accuracy, and usefulness of policy communications.
• Turn findings into executive-ready reports with practical recommendations for Policy, Communications, Product, Marketing, Data Science, Legal, Privacy, and other partners. Build reusable research tools, benchmarks, and knowledge that strengthen decision-making over time.

We’re looking for someone with:
• We’re looking for a senior mixed-methods research leader who combines deep quantitative and qualitative expertise with strong strategic judgment. You should be able to independently turn an ambiguous policy communications question into a…