Program Officer, Catalytic Deployment

AI is already changing how people work, learn, and access care. It has the potential to unlock extraordinary benefits—faster medical breakthroughs, accelerated scientific discovery, more personalized services in healthcare and education, new tools for creativity and invention, higher productivity and economic growth, improved public services like transportation systems, and so much more.

But building powerful systems to benefit humanity is only a part of the work of our mission. Advanced AI models will also present new challenges that are already surfacing, and we need to be prepared to identify these challenges and develop solutions to address them.

These are the two dimensions of what we’re building the Foundation to do. We aim to enable the use of AI to find solutions to humanity’s hardest problems, transform what people are capable of, and deliver real benefits in people’s lives—while working hard with partners to be ready for new challenges, and to help make society resilient, as AI advances.

This work is just beginning. Over the next year, as we quickly ramp up, the Foundation expects to invest at least $1 billion across life sciences and curing diseases, jobs and economic impact, AI resilience, and community programs. This includes early investments toward our previously announced $25 billion commitment to curing diseases and AI resilience.

Civil Society and Philanthropy is a new OpenAI Foundation team dedicated to putting advanced AI to work on challenges facing people and communities globally.

We will partner with nonprofit and civil society organizations and governments around the world, putting in place the resources needed to ensure AI can meaningfully support their work. We combine philanthropic investment, technical expertise, and convening power to work alongside trusted partners that deliver essential services across geographies and issue areas. Together, we identify opportunities where AI can strengthen their work, expand their reach, and tangibly benefit their communities.

We're starting with three areas:

• Put AI to work in essential services where it can meaningfully improve access and outcomes.
• Give civil society organizations the tools, expertise, and support to adopt AI responsibly.
• Build shared infrastructure so that successful tools and lessons can benefit the entire social sector.

We believe the most meaningful applications of AI will be shaped not by technology companies alone, but by the teachers, clinicians, legal advocates, public servants, researchers, governments, and community organizations applying these tools to solve real-world problems.

The Program Officer is a key role on the Catalytic Deployments team that combines philanthropic investment, strategy, institution-building, and operations.

Program Officers support the strategy and execution of major areas of the Catalytic Deployments portfolio, working closely with the Head of Catalytic Deployments to set overall team priorities. As part of this work, Program Officers will support the development of large philanthropic investments, from grants to ambitious multi-year initiatives, and potentially new institutions.

Ideal Program Officers have experience in at least one social sector domain, such as public health, education, poverty alleviation, and economic mobility. This role requires strong judgment, high ownership, and the ability to operate with meaningful autonomy.

This role reports to the Head of Catalytic Deployments, Civil Society and Philanthropy.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We currently use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week. Some travel to the U.S. and to other countries will be required.